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Province supporting Nokia’s expansion plans in Kanata

Community Comment

As part of its plan to build Ontario’s assets, the provincial government has secured a multimillion dollar investment by Nokia Corporation to expand its Canadian operations here in Kanata.

Nokia will build new Canadian headquarters and research and development facilities. The plans willtransform its 26-acre campus at the Kanata North Business Park into a corporate, residential and commercial hub. The company’s huge investment is being supported with contributions from all three levels of government.

As a global leader in developing the next generation of 5G wireless technology, Nokia’s expansion secures its place within Canada’s high tech sector for generations to come.

The decision to build its new research and development facilities in Kanata is excellent news for our community.It is expected to add 340 high-paying jobs that are sure to spur innovation. It will also offer hundreds of new co-op positions for students at the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, Algonquin College and Le Cité.

The Nokia announcement builds on the international advantages Ottawa’s high tech companies already enjoy. Consider:

  • Ottawa has the highest concentration of high tech talent in North America with 11.6 per cent of its total employment in high tech (San Francisco is second at 11.4 per cent, followed by Toronto, Seattle and Waterloo Region, according to a recent CBRE research report).
  • Ottawa’s overall tech talent market is ranked 13th in North America by CBRE, behind much bigger cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, New York and Boston.
  • Kanata North Technology Park is currently home to more than 33,000 employees, making it Ottawa’s second-largest employer, after the federal government.
  • The park has more than 550 technology companies, the highest concentration within Canada.
  • Seven of the top 10 Canadian information and communications technology (ICT) companies are based in Ontario (clustered in Ottawa, Toronto and Waterloo) and they invest over $3.6 billion on an average into the province’s economy.

To echo the Ontario Premier’s comments at the announcement, “This monumental investment from Nokia shows once again that there is no better place for businesses to grow and jobs to be created than here in Ontario.”  Yes, right here in Ottawa – in Kanata.