Technology
Canada is home to the world’s largest tech hubs, growing and attracting innovative talent from across the globe. Our diverse, highly educated and growing tech talent pool continuously attracts investments from global businesses, including the world’s 10 largest technology companies. Canada’s commitment to talent development and attraction, strong support for innovation and low business costs make it easy for tech companies to make money.
Canada is increasingly recognized as a world leader in technology and the investments we make today and in the future will help ensure that Canada continues to be a pillar of innovation.
Software development in Canada
Software development talent is abundant in Canada: the country accounted for 3.61% of developers in the 2021 Annual Developer Survey, making it the fifth most represented in terms of developer talent globally. Beyond access to an exceptional workforce pool, software companies operating in Canada benefit from strong market growth. The latest numbers show a 14.2% annual increase in operating revenues for Canadian software and computer service industries.
Artificial intelligence (AI) in Canada
With 1,032 AI and machine learning companies and some of the world’s brightest minds in the field, Canada continues to attract global talent and capital. As a result, global companies are choosing to locate in AI hubs across the country to get access to the deepest and highest quality pool of AI talent. Businesses investing in Canada’s AI ecosystems also benefit from strong government support, low business costs, and access to world-class AI clusters.
Cybersecurity in Canada
According to Pitchbook data, Canada is now the 7th largest cybersecurity innovation hub in the world by venture capital deals (2017-2021) and has taken key steps to recognize the importance of cybersecurity. Aligned with the National Cyber Security Strategy, Canada is committing a $80 million investment to support cyber security research and development, commercialization, and skills and talent development.
Investing in technology in Canada
Talent
Canadian tech talent markets aren’t just on the rise, they’re at the top. Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa all rank in CBRE’s top 20 tech talent markets in North America, and for good reason. With more than 2.8 million STEM graduates and the world’s highest educated workforce, the depth and quality of Canada’s tech talent pool is undeniable.
However, in a growing sector short on qualified workers, homegrown talent isn’t always enough. That’s why ICT companies operating in Canada can access top talent from around the world through the Global Skills Strategy and bring in highly skilled workforce in as little as two weeks.
Incentives
The Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program provides income-tax credits and refunds for expenditures on eligible R&D activity in Canada. Examples include:
- Operations research
- Data collection
- R&D in engineering
- Testing
- Psychological research
- Design
The Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) bolsters business investments in Canada's most dynamic and innovative sectors by supporting business activities such as:
- R&D projects
- Firm expansion
- Large-scale, global-investment attraction
- Collaborative technology demonstration projects
- Clean technology adoption and decarbonization
Mitacs funds technology-specific internships and fellowships through Canadian universities.
Leading research institutes
- The Institute for Quantum Computing
- Centre for Innovation in Microelectronics of Quebec (CIMEQ)
- MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre (C2MI)
- Canada’s National Research and Education Network (CANARIE)
- Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre
- ENCQOR
- Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms (Mila)
- Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence
- Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii)
You’re in good company
Recent Investment Announcements
BusPatrol
US-based BusPatrol, which specializes in school transportation safety, has announced the official opening of its downtown Montreal office, which will include the company’s technological development centre. The centre aims to create 150 jobs at its new office over the next two years and anticipates growing demand for its services in North America.
Google plans to more than triple its work force in Canada over the next three years to as many as 5,000 employees across Toronto, Montréal and Ontario’s Kitchener-Waterloo region. The expansion will include three new offices, with the biggest growth in Kitchener, where it could have up to 3,000 employees working by 2022.
Mastercard
US-based Mastercard has opened a new $510 million global intelligence and cyber centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. The centre, located at the existent office of Mastercard's subsidiary NuData Security, has created 380 new jobs, with staff to focus on areas including artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT).
Accenture
Ireland-based Accenture, a consulting and technology services firm, has opened a new hub in St. Catherines, Ontario. The new office is Accenture's second in the region and the company's third intelligent operations centre in Canada. The company plans to create an additional 100 local jobs by 2021.
HCL Technologies
HCL Technologies, a business process outsourcing and information technology infrastructure company and a subsidiary of India-based HCL Global, has opened an office in Moncton, New Brunswick. The firm will create 300 jobs at the office by 2022. It will focus on providing technology support in application development and testing.
Xero
New Zealand-based Xero, which provides an online accounting solution, has opened a new office in Toronto, Ontario. It will house up to 200 employees. The office is Xero's first in Canada, and will also house new and existing employees from Hubdoc, a firm acquired by Xero in 2018. The firm will serve customers in Canada from the new location.
OneSpan
OneSpan, US-based IT and cybersecurity technology company, announced the launch of a new operational hub in Montreal, Canada. Being its largest office and R&D centre worldwide, the hub plans to create 100 jobs by the end of 2021. The Montreal office will ensure the company can continue maintaining cybersecurity, data protection in the global financial services industry as well as preventing fraud.
EY
UK-based Ernst & Young Global Limited has chosen Vancouver, Canada as its destination for its new EY Technology Centre. The Centre is part of the Client Technology global network, marrying client needs and innovative ideas to provide new technology solutions. The Centre is part of a two-year firm commitment to invest US$1 billion in new technology solutions, client services, innovation, and its ecosystems.
Salesforce
Salesforce.com, Inc., US cloud-based software firm opened a new office in Vancouver, Canada. The new office allowed Salesforce to integrate two separate offices in the city and to expand—now housing over 175 employees.
HSBC
HSBC has opened its Global Data & Innovation Lab in Toronto, citing the city’s interest, investment and development of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced machine learning. The 3,376 square foot energy efficient lab will soon employ over 50 skilled AI professionals, technologists, co-op students and interns, adding to the over 1,500 employees located in Toronto.
Oracle
US-based Oracle, a provider of business hardware and software solutions, has opened a new cloud data centre in Toronto, Canada. The facility will be used to host the company's public cloud service, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
Amazon
US-based online retail giant Amazon has expanded its tech hub in Toronto, Canada. It has opened a new 113,000 sq. ft. office in Scotia Plaza which is expected to create 600 new job opportunities. The new positions will be focused on software development, machine learning, cloud computing, digital advertising and artificial intelligence.
Fujitsu
Fujitsu, Japan’s leading ICT company, announced the creation of Fujitsu Intelligence Technology in November 2018. Operating as the company’s global artificial intelligence (AI) headquarter in Vancouver, the office serves as a strategic access point to the growing North American AI market. The company plans to open the office in July 2019.
Uber
Uber announced that it is launching a new engineering hub in Toronto which it says will bring hundreds of new jobs to the city. The company also said it will expand its existing self-driving centre in Toronto and invest more than $200 million over five years.
Siemens
Germany-based industrial conglomerate Siemens is establishing a new cybersecurity centre in Fredericton, Canada. It is expected to create 30 new jobs by 2020, and a further 30 during phase two.