Nearly 40 per cent of employees at Qualcomm’s Markham office are working on artificial intelligence, according to a company executive, with the local team developing technology for devices ranging from phones to vehicles.

In a profile published by Markham Business, Mark Sternberg, Qualcomm’s vice-president of engineering, described the office’s work on processors, automotive systems and AI, as well as its recruitment ties with local universities.

The work includes hardware, software, system architecture and algorithms, Sternberg said. Qualcomm’s broader processor development supports phones, wearable devices, vehicles and autonomous robots.

Qualcomm has worked on AI technology since 2018, according to the profile. Its focus is edge AI: technology that allows devices to use artificial intelligence in situations where power or connectivity is limited, including remote locations and large industrial factories.

Sternberg described applications that improve everyday device functions, rather than focusing on generative or agentic AI.

“It could be as simple as making your noise reduction more effective, image enhancement more accurate, or saving power on a device,” Sternberg told Markham Business.

Markham operations trace back to AMD acquisition

Qualcomm’s presence in Markham dates to 2009, when AMD sold its handheld graphics and multimedia technology to the San Diego-based company. Many AMD employees, including Sternberg, moved to Qualcomm through that acquisition.

Sternberg said the Markham team has grown since then. Employees who made the move continue to lead processor development across the company’s device and automotive work.

Automotive technology is one area of focus for the local office. According to Sternberg, the team works closely with automakers in Ontario and Detroit, and its automotive group works globally on infotainment systems.

University recruitment and research

The company recruits co-op students and employees from York University and other local universities. It also partners with professors on research projects, according to the profile.

Sternberg said he would like to expand those connections, with an emphasis on helping the next generation of engineers learn to use the tools and become productive.

The profile also places the company’s work within Canada’s longer history of AI research, citing Geoffrey Hinton’s deep-learning research at the University of Toronto in the late 1970s and current research at York University.

Sternberg said Qualcomm is looking for opportunities to contribute to Canada’s AI development and draw on Canadian talent as that work grows.