SASKATOON — Local tech entrepreneur Amit Gupta says Siemens Canada's latest expansion in Saskatoon shows Saskatchewan can compete for major investment in artificial intelligence and semiconductor software while retaining highly skilled workers.
Gupta, whose company Solido Design Automation was acquired by global engineering and tech company Siemens in 2017, joined Siemens Canada president and CEO Faisal Kazi and Premier Scott Moe in announcing on Wednesday, July 15, that it is expanding its research and development hub in Saskatoon, adding 100 new positions to increase its local workforce to 400 employees.
He said Siemens SDA’s expansion also included an additional 10,000 square feet of office space at Innovation Saskatchewan’s Research and Technology Park, occupying the building's fourth and fifth floors. It is also part of the company’s drive for innovation and growth in key technologies, like AI chip design and development, strengthening the company's role in developing software used worldwide.
"We see Saskatchewan and Saskatoon as a great place to continue to grow and expand," he said. "The positions will support development of software used by semiconductor companies around the world to design increasingly sophisticated computer chips,” said Gupta, the senior vice president of the local tech company.
He added that Siemens now sees Saskatchewan as a long-term destination for growth and the latest expansion will create jobs primarily for software developers and customer application specialists, with recruitment focused on graduates in engineering, computer science, mathematics and physics over the next 18 months.
"Saskatchewan provides a very supportive platform for us in terms of the university, in terms of investment, in terms of being able to grow in such an amazing space just beside the University of Saskatchewan,” said Gupta, who is also Siemens SDA and Siemens Digital Industries Software’s general manager and chief AI strategy officer.
He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Engineering in 1999 and established Analogue Design Automation locally two decades ago. But Saskatchewan lacked the funding and infrastructure for a tech startup back then, so he had to relocate it to Ottawa. This time, a lot has changed in the province’s technology ecosystem.
Gupta said that ADA was acquired by a Silicon Valley company in 2004, and in 2005 he started SDA in Saskatchewan with the help of several local investors, the National Research Council, Prairies Economic Development Canada, and Innovation Saskatchewan.
After Siemens acquired Solido in 2017, the company chose to expand in Saskatoon rather than relocate operations elsewhere. Gupta said the strategy of hiring local graduates has resulted in about 80 per cent of employees in the Saskatoon office earning their degrees from the University of Saskatchewan.
"It's really an opportunity for people who are from Saskatchewan not to leave to work at another place, and can have rewarding careers right here in Saskatchewan. They want to stay, build their families, buy houses, and be part of the community. They can work on cutting-edge software that the top companies around the world are using,” said Gupta.
Provincial government’s role
Premier Moe said growing Saskatchewan's technology sector requires coordination among government, post-secondary institutions and industry.
Moe said that supporting the technology industry requires cross-government collaboration. He pointed to Innovation Saskatchewan, led by Minister Responsible for Innovation Warren Kaeding and Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff, as key drivers of the province's strategy while emphasizing the importance of developing talent through Saskatchewan's educational institutions.
"There are a number of touchpoints. Part of it is Innovation Saskatchewan and the innovation strategies brought forward by Minister Kaeding, and ultimately the entire workforce that might come out of the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, or even our regional colleges. It's really a conversation across government with our relevant post-secondary institutions,” Moe added.
He said that Saskatchewan is also working with the federal government and private industry to ensure the province plays a larger role in Canada's artificial intelligence supply chain. He said that includes supporting companies involved in semiconductor design while also preparing for future investments in AI data centres.
"What you see is a province continuing to work with not only the federal government, but how can we work to support industries to become part of that supply chain. We also need to ensure that we, as Canadians and we in Saskatchewan, have data sovereignty for industries but also for our individuals," added Moe, who is also the Intergovernmental Affairs Minister.
Moe said expanding the province's skilled workforce remains a priority, noting that partnerships between Siemens, the U of S, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic will help produce more graduates for the growing technology sector, with the province assisting with their training so they can stay and work in Saskatchewan.
Looking ahead, Moe said artificial intelligence represents a significant economic opportunity for Saskatchewan, with high-paying careers expected across the entire technology supply chain. He said recent investments, including Saskatchewan's partnership with Bell on an AI data centre, demonstrate the province's commitment to becoming a leader in the sector.
