Pasqal Expands Canadian Quantum Supply Chain with New PIC Packaging Center
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Off the Wire Press Releases BROMONT, Quebec, July 2, 2026 — Pasqal, through its Canadian subsidiary Aeponyx, today announced the creation of a specialized center of competency focused on assembling and packaging key components used in quantum and advanced sensing technologies in Canada. The Center of Competency in Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Packaging for quantum and sensing applications will be based at C2MI in Bromont, Quebec. Supported by the Canadian government, the initiative brings together Aeponyx, HOP Technologies, and Phantom Photonics to strengthen Canada’s domestic capabilities in advanced photonics and quantum technologies. Bridging Research and Industry at C2MI Anchored at C2MI, one of Canada’s leading R&D and commercialization hubs, the initiative is intended to bridge the gap between research, prototyping, and low-volume manufacturing in a field that is critical to enabling scalable quantum systems. It will focus on advanced PIC packaging processes tailored for PIC based quantum technologies, with the objective of standardizing and making novel packaging capabilities available to the broader ecosystem – solving a bottleneck that is critical to scaling PIC based quantum technology. Central to the project is the installation at C2MI of state-of-the-art packaging equipment specifically designed for PIC based quantum computing applications, made possible through Aeponyx’s long-standing partnership with Aixemtec Gmbh, a leading German equipment manufacturer. “Building on more than a decade of strong collaboration with C2MI on silicon nitride PICs, this initiative directly supports Pasqal’s roadmap by enabling a reliable, domestic supply chain for advanced photonic packaging in Canada,” said Philippe Babin, CEO of Aeponyx. “Creating this Center of Competency is an important step in strengthening the capabilities that will firmly position Canada as a global leader in the next generation of quantum and sensing technologies.” “With Aeponyx, we validated our active-alignment technology on quantum photonics prototypes, and we believe the collaboration has created a strong foundation for scalable production,” said Tobias Müller, Chief Commercial Officer at Aixemtec GmbH. “We look forward to supporting Aeponyx as it advances capabilities that are important to Pasqal’s quantum hardware roadmap.” Complementary Experience Across Canada’s Innovation Landscape The consortium brings together complementary experience that reflects the breadth of the opportunity. HOP Technologies leverages photonic integration for physiological monitoring and wearable biosignals applications, targeting real-world human health impact. Phantom Photonics adds strong expertise in next-generation LiDAR and optical sensing designed for demanding environments including autonomous systems and defense. We believe this international consortium demonstrates that the packaging capabilities being developed at C2MI extend far beyond a single application field, they can serve a growing range of high-stakes applications across Canada’s innovation landscape. The project is backed by $4 million in combined federal and provincial support, including $3 million from Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) through its Advanced Manufacturing Technology Program. The total project budget is $7.9 million and marks the first phase of a broader effort to develop a domestic supply chain for advanced PIC packaging. The first phase of the project will establish low-volume manufacturing capabilities and is intended to support thousands of devices. The second phase aims to scale production to 500,000+ modules per year. C2MI has built a strong and recognized leadership in advanced packaging through years of close collaboration with the industry,” said Marie-Josée Turgeon, CEO of C2MI. “With this Center of Competency, we are now activating that expertise at scale, partnering with new players and unlocking new applications to fast-track the development and commercialization of next-generation photonic and quantum technologies. A Strategic Move for Pasqal’s Quantum Roadmap For Pasqal, the project highlights the strategic importance of PIC technology to the company’s long-term leadership in neutral-atom quantum computing. Aeponyx, acquired by Pasqal with the intention of bringing PIC experience in-house, will help enable Pasqal to strengthen the precision, robustness, and scalability of the photonic layer underpinning its quantum hardware roadmap. “This PIC Packaging Center of Competency at C2MI, launched in collaboration with Aeponyx and our partners, helps turn advanced integrated photonics into repeatable, industrial-grade capabilities in Canada — a key step toward more robust, scalable controls for our neutral-atom quantum processors,” said Loïc Henriet, CTO of Pasqal. About Aeponyx Enterprises Inc. Aeponyx is a Canadian photonic integrated circuits (PICs) company specializing in silicon nitride (SiN) and hybrid photonic integration technologies. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Montréal, Quebec, Aeponyx designs, develops, and manufactures advanced photonic chips and modules for high‑performance applications, including quantum computing, optical communications, and sensing. Aeponyx’s core experience spans PIC design, wafer‑scale fabrication, advanced packaging, and opto‑electronic integration, with a strong focus on scalable, manufacturable solutions. The company has built a robust intellectual property portfolio and works closely with industrial, academic, and government partners in North America and Europe. Aeponyx is a subsidiary of Pasqal, a global leader in neutral‑atom quantum computing, and enables large‑scale, laser‑based quantum processors through advanced photonic technologies. For more information, visit www.aeponyx.com. About Pasqal Pasqal is a global leader in delivering practical quantum computing at scale utilizing neutral atom technology and dedicated software for industry, science, and governments. Since its founding in 2019, Pasqal has leveraged Nobel Prize winning research to build high-performance quantum systems and cloud-ready software designed to address complex challenges in optimization, simulation, and artificial intelligence. Headquartered in France, Pasqal employs over 275 people and serves over 25 clients and partners, including Aramco, CMA CGM, OVHcloud, Thales, IBM (Pasqal is part of the IBM Quantum Network), and Sumitomo. Backed by more than USD 300 million in total private funding from international investors, Pasqal is pursuing a listing on Nasdaq in partnership with Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. II (Nasdaq: BBCQ) and is accelerating the adoption of scalable, high-performance quantum computing worldwide. Source: Pasqal
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