R&D in Ottawa

Ottawa boasts a dynamic and comprehensive research infrastructure that focuses on government, university and industry collaboration. The city has over 50 years of experience with incubation of start-up and spin-off companies. With a critical mass of government, university and private sector R&D, a highly-educated workforce and substantial R&D tax incentives, Ottawa is widely acclaimed as a world-class centre for research.

Some of Canada’s most notable research and development organizations are located in Ottawa:

National Research Council – Canada’s leading government R & D organization is a major force in Canada's drive to strengthen its national system of innovation. NRC undertakes research programs in a wide variety of areas including microstructural sciences, information technologies, chemical process and environmental technologies, astrophysics, molecular sciences, metrology, construction technologies, biological sciences, aerospace, surface transportation, and hydraulics. NRC’s Ottawa campuses house a number of specialized facilities that are accessed by companies and research organizations around the world. NRC also offers incubation services to assist the process of commercializing viable technologies. Learn more by visiting NRC’s website.
Communications Research Centre – Canada’s major facility for research in terrestrial wireless communications systems and components, satellite communications and radio propagation, rural and remote broadband access, broadcast technology and broadband network technologies. CRC’s Innovation Centre offers incubation services to the commercialization of viable technologies. Learn more by visiting CRC’s website.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Canada’s leading agricultural research organization has a number of research facilities and initiatives, including the Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre in Ottawa. At this facility, research is focused on grains and oilseeds for eastern Canada. Learn more by visiting the ECORC’s website.
National Sciences and Engineering Research Council – The national instrument for making strategic investments in science and technology capabilities through university research. Learn more about how NSERC interacts with universities and industry to promote research by visiting NSERC’s website.
Ottawa Life Sciences Council – OLSC is a private and public sector partnership committed to stimulating the growth of the life sciences sector in the Ottawa area. The organization is at the heart of life sciences R&D in Ottawa. Learn more about research activities by visiting OLSC’s website.
Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) – With more yearly transactions than the U.S. Library of Congress, CISTI is a key underpinning of Ottawa’s research community. It is one of NRC’s most visible service institutes, and houses one of the world's largest onsite libraries. CISTI also offers standard and electronic access to most of the world’s research literature and information in all areas of science, technology, engineering and medicine. Learn more by visiting CISTI’s website.

Ottawa’s two main academic institutions, Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, are active participants in both fundamental and applied research across a variety of disciplines. Both have the unique position of being situated within the heart of Canada’s most intensive concentration of advanced technology enterprises as well as being in close proximity to government agencies, laboratories and libraries. The University of Ottawa offers a bilingual environment.

Ottawa companies qualify for assistance from NRC’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), which has a network of specialized Industrial Technology Advisors (ITAs). IRAP is Canada's premier innovation assistance program for small and medium-sized Canadian enterprises (SMEs).

In addition, Ottawa-based companies can benefit from a number of provincial research programs for Ontario-based companies through the Ontario Centres of Excellence.