Ottawa loses another optical components operation

Another piece of Nortel Network Corp's once-vaunted optical components business is being shut down by the company that purchased the assets in 2001. The Ottawa division of UK-based Bookham Inc will be closed as part of a cost-cutting measure by the money-losing firm. The 300 employees that came with the Nortel sale had dwindled to about 50 by the time the latest announcement was made. Among the reasons for the closure was the decline in business Bookham conducted with Nortel, which slipped to US$15.4 million in the latest quarter. Much of the high-end equipment purchased from Nortel was shipped to Bookham's UK facilities in 2003. In addition to eliminating its Ottawa operations, Bookham is reducing its UK semiconductor workforce and shifting R&D to China....