Canada's High-Tech Hub

"Although the public service sector remains prominent, the economy of the national capital has undergone major changes. Since 1990, the high-tech sector has grown at such a pace that in 2000, according to Mallet (2002), 80,000 individuals were on the payroll of knowledge-economy businesses, almost as many as in government offices. And Despite the sector downturn in 2001, Ottawa still ranks in the top ten North American cities where a high percentage of people holding university (bachelor and Ph.D.) degrees. This same pattern can be observed in the capital region of the United States as well.

Indeed in the search for Silicon Valley North, Ottawa ranks close to the top by almost every measurement --- jobs per capita, skilled workers, and high-tech growth. Ottawa may seem less than ‘hip and cool' to most outsiders, but it outperforms its more vaunted Canadian counterparts in terms of tech growth. Overall if any area is to be considered the ‘Silicon Valley North' it would be the Ottawa region."

"What does this tell us about high-tech in Canada? For one thing it shows that places that have low crime rates, a family friendly atmosphere tend to be the best places for technology companies --- very much like the pattern in the United States. Although Canada is a very different country, the fertile ground for tech companies remains very much the same both sides of the border."