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Florida-based Jabil to expand Kanata facility, add photonics packaging research lab

September 24, 2024

St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Jabil said this week it is opening a new research laboratory at its existing facility on Brewer Hunt Way in Kanata.

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A global company that designs, engineers and manufactures electronics components is adding to its footprint in the National Capital Region. St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Jabil said this week it is opening a new research laboratory at its existing facility on Brewer Hunt Way in Kanata. The company has had an Ottawa office since 2014. Jabil currently employs about 40 people at the facility, which specializes in optical components and other products for photonics customers such as Nokia and Kanata-based Ranovus. A company spokesperson said the new facility, called the New Product Introduction research laboratory, will focus on advanced photonics packaging activities for prototyping and developing new processes. The new lab “complements Jabil’s existing photonics packaging locations in Penang, Malaysia, and Wuhan, China, dedicated to large-scale manufacturing of such components,” he said. In a news release, the company said the Kanata site “will feature innovative capabilities designed to assist photonics customers quickly scale from proof of concept to mass production.” “We believe that this expansion will showcase the talent in Ottawa, as well as support the growth and development of the global photonics industry,” the spokesperson added. Matt Crowley, Jabil’s executive vice-president of global business units, called the 20,000-square-foot expansion of the Kanata site a “game-changer” for the company. “This facility will enable us to meet the growing demands for advanced photonics solutions tailored to AI and next-generation data centres,” Crowley said in a statement. “Through our NPI capabilities, we can assist customers in their own product development journeys, significantly reducing the need for costly trial and error in developing their own solutions from scratch.” Founded in Detroit in 1966, Jabil has more than 230,000 employees and operations in 30 countries. The company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange and is part of the S&P 500 Index, generated revenues of nearly US$35 billion in 2023. Late last year, the firm announced it was acquiring chip-making giant Intel’s silicon photonics connector business.