Canada’s Capital – Your Global Tech Hub

Ottawa is a thriving and internationally recognized global tech hub anchored by multinational giants, homegrown successes, high-growth startups and scale-ups, a wealth of top talent – and Area X.O.

Explore Our Competitive Advantages
Why Ottawa

One million people strong, Canada’s capital city is a centre of business growth within our domestic and global economy. It’s an ideal location for innovation, entrepreneurship, business expansion and commercial success. 

Ottawa’s high concentration of technology talent, competitive business costs and quality of life attracts companies, talent and investment from around the world.

Experience Our Competitive Advantages

Invest Ottawa

Invest Ottawa’s Global Expansion team helps companies, land and expand at Area X.O and across the Capital. Their services support firms throughout their life cycle.

Home to more than 1,750 knowledge-based companies that collectively employ more than 68,500 highly skilled people, Ottawa is an internationally recognized centre of excellence for industries including:

  • Aerospace, Defence and Security 
  • Cleantech
  • Communication Technology
  • Life Sciences and Smart Health
  • Software

Ottawa is a centre of expertise in disruptive technologies

With the increasing convergence of technologies, sectors and scientific disciplines, Ottawa is cultivating world-class expertise in disruptive technologies, including:

  • Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs)
  • Cybersecurity
  • 5G, Next Generation Networks and Advanced Communications
  • Internet of Things (IoT), big data and analytics
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning
  • Heathtech
  • Robotics
  • Blockchain
  • AR/VR

Ottawa Has:

  • Outstanding post-secondary institutions, including Algonquin College, Carleton University, La Cité, the University of Ottawa, and Willis College
  • 135,000 students emerge from these institutions per year, with 20 percent specializing in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). 
  • The second-highest concentration of engineers and scientists in North America per capita (behind Silicon Valley)
  • The most undergraduate degrees per capita; 61 percent of Ottawa’s labour force has a post-secondary degree
  • Highly skilled women and men from different walks of life with diverse backgrounds and cultures, creating a prosperous, inclusive and high-performing workforce

Foreign companies leverage Area X.O to expand into the North American/South American market. Invest in our market.

Speak to a member of Invest Ottawa’s Global Expansion team to learn how we help foreign companies land at Area X.O and across Canada’s Capital. 

Capitalize on our competitive advantages as a global tech hub.