Kanata North adds CAD $17.9 billion to Canada's economy

Kanata North generates CAD $17.9 billion in economic output across Canada and supports more than 63,000 jobs nationwide, according to a new report from the Kanata North Business Association.

Prepared by Doyletech using its DT ECONWIN model, the study draws on data from more than 800 firms in what the association describes as Canada's largest technology park. It found the area contributes CAD $9.7 billion in value added to national GDP, produces CAD $2.8 billion in international exports and generates about CAD $3 billion in tax revenue for federal, provincial and municipal governments.

Those figures place Kanata North among the country's more significant regional technology clusters, at a time when governments and industry are placing greater emphasis on domestic industrial capacity, supply chains and economic sovereignty.

Manufacturing, engineering, testing, semiconductors, telecom and photonics form the core of the local economy, accounting for 48.3% of total revenue and 58% of employment in the park. Other sectors identified in the study include software, data and cloud services, defence, security and aerospace, cleantech, life sciences and parts suppliers.

The findings also show how the district has changed since an earlier economic impact study more than a decade ago. Kanata North now hosts a mix of hardware and software companies working across cybersecurity, semiconductors, photonics, networking, mobility, advanced manufacturing and cloud systems.

One of the report's central arguments is that the area could play a larger role in building a domestic supply chain for III-V compound semiconductors, used in AI, photonics and advanced communications. It points to an opportunity to establish a Canadian fabrication facility and expand the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre into a higher-volume commercial foundry.

The proposal reflects a broader industrial policy debate in Canada over how much domestic production is needed in strategically sensitive technologies. Compound semiconductors are used in sensing, communications and defence systems, making them a focus for policymakers concerned about reliance on overseas supply.

The report also highlights defence, security and aerospace as a major area for expansion. With a concentration of companies linked to dual-use technologies and prime contractors, Kanata North could deepen its role as a defence innovation centre, including through training and programming at Hub350, the association's collaboration space.

Growth areas

Energy infrastructure and workforce development were also identified as priorities. The study called for a low-carbon community energy model and said education links should be strengthened through integrated learning hubs, upskilling programmes and a proposed technology high school.

Kanata North's Special Economic District status, granted by the City of Ottawa, was cited as another factor supporting expansion. The designation is intended to ease the shift from a traditional business park to a mixed-use district with housing, amenities and workspaces.

Transport links have also been under review, including a shuttle pilot connecting key sites in the district. Supporters argue that easier movement within the area helps employers and workers in a business park that has grown into a broader employment and innovation zone.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said the district has become a major source of jobs and growth for the wider capital region. "Kanata North is a key economic engine and home to Canada's largest Technology Park," he said. "The innovation happening here creates jobs, drives growth across the National Capital Region, and strengthens Ottawa's role as a leading global tech hub."

Kelly Daize, executive director of the Kanata North Business Association, said the cluster's growth has been shaped by the combination of multiple technology disciplines in one place. "Since the first Economic Impact Study in 2015, Kanata North has continued to grow in remarkable ways," she said. "Today, Kanata North is one of the rare places globally where advanced hardware and software are developed together in the same ecosystem. Our companies combine deep expertise in software, cybersecurity, semiconductors, photonics, networking, mobility, advanced manufacturing, and cloud systems to develop mission-critical technologies for secure communications, advanced sensing, and next-generation infrastructure - a level of integration that very few technology ecosystems in the world can match."

Additional industry voices linked the district's growth to Ottawa's long-standing telecommunications research base and recent investment in semiconductor and photonics businesses. Several said local research and development activity has helped position the area in wireless networks, defence-related technologies and infrastructure tied to AI.

Among the report's figures, labour income totalled CAD $6.1 billion, while direct employment stood at 30,978 jobs. Federal and provincial tax contributions were each estimated at CAD $1.3 billion, with municipal tax revenue at CAD $299 million.

"Kanata North is a global innovation hub that is paving the future of technology. The breakthroughs happening in this community touch billions of people every day," said Thompson.