Electrical and computer engineers shape the future through innovation. They develop and improve systems that serve everyday needs of society spanning from high-voltage engineering and sustainable energy, to breakthroughs in wireless technology. Our faculty and students do everything from creating low-cost digital x-ray imagers to combat tuberculosis in developing countries, to building real-time embedded systems to advance the design and reliability of commercial products. ECE - the future is what we do.
Research
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is a dynamic and innovative hub of cutting-edge advancements in technology and engineering. Faculty members lead pioneering research in areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence, communications, embedded systems, and renewable energy, addressing real-world challenges and driving technological breakthroughs.
Resources
News
Electrical and computer engineering students earn international honours at IEEE EMC+SIPI 2026
A student team from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the University of Waterloo has earned international recognition after taking first runner-up in the Hardware Design Award at the IEEE International Symposium on Electromagnetic Compatibility, Signal & Power Integrity (EMC+SIPI) in Texas. EMC+SIPI 2026 leads the industry in providing state-of-the-art education on EMC and Signal Integrity and Power Integrity techniques.
Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate student, Jinmeng Shi, earns best student poster award at international conference
Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) graduate student, Jinmeng Shi, has earned international recognition for her research into the semiconductor materials behind terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz QCLs).
Shi, a Master of Applied Science (MASc) student co-supervised by ECE professors Dayan Ban and Zbig Wasilewski, received the Best Student Poster Award at the International Conference on Molecular Beam Epitaxy, held July 12–16, 2026, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her winning poster, “Towards Ultra-Smooth Interfaces in THz QCLs: Revisiting Si Doping in GaAs Grown on (411)A Substrates,” presented research aimed at addressing one of the challenges limiting the performance of THz QCLs.
Electrical and computer engineering professor’s quantum startup builds momentum with new investment
A quantum technology company co-founded by University of Waterloo Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) professor, Dr. Chris Wilson, announced today the closing of approximately $4.69 million in new financing.
Wilson is co-founder and chief technology officer of QuantumCore, a Waterloo-based company that grew out of research at Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), where he is also a faculty member. The company is focused on developing hardware technologies for quantum computing.
QuantumCore is developing specialized hardware to support increasingly advanced quantum computing systems. Its technologies include superconducting quantum amplifiers and single-photon detector solutions, designed to address technical challenges that become more significant as quantum computers scale. The company is continuing to build its technology portfolio through internal research and development and strategic acquisitions.
Electrical and computer engineering research team earns third place at prestigious IEEE AP-S Industry Pitch Competition
A team of researchers from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) has earned third place at the 2026 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society (AP-S) Industry Application Pitch Competition, an international competition recognizing research with strong real-world commercialization potential.
The team—PhD student Yu Cao, post-doctoral fellow Omid Bagheri, and MASc student Veronica Leong, supervised by Dr. George Shaker, Adjunct Professor in ECE—received the award after presenting their research to a panel of industry leaders during the 2026 IEEE AP-S/URSI Symposium.