Chow, who co-founded Toronto chip firm ViXS Systems and helped take it public, will lead the Markham, Ont.-based semiconductor hub full-time in January. He replaces Melissa Chee, who wrapped up her five-year term in June. (The Logic)

Talking point: Chow takes the helm at the organization, which includes a $9-million prototype and testing lab and has supported over 3,500 companies, as Canada is trying to secure its place in the burgeoning North American chip industry. New semiconductor plants funded by the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act and explosive interest in artificial intelligence are opportunities that Canada needs to seize, industry advocates have argued. Chow was a senior engineering executive at ATI Technologies, which expanded chip giant AMD’s Canadian presence after its acquisition. He has also worked as a venture capitalist and led a Hong Kong-based consortium focused on environmental, social and governance standards. “We believe that Hugh’s unique expertise in many of the technology centric sectors will help move us to the next chapter of helping Canadian companies succeed globally,” VentureLab board chair Yalda Riahi said in a release.