Canada's AI Sector Hits a Multi-Front Milestone: Sovereign Silicon, Open-Weight Wars, and Agentic M&A

Canada's Semiconductor Council submitted a position paper to the federal government titled "Sovereign AI Needs Sovereign Silicon," arguing the national AI strategy is missing a critical piece: a dedicated semiconductor pillar. The CSC, representing nearly 60 Canadian companies, wants a seventh pillar that sets targets, directs procurement, and plugs hardware into the existing AI strategy without requiring new funding programs. Managing director Paul Slaby framed it bluntly: "The...