Ontario’s Innovation Hubs: From regional strengths to global impact in the age of AI

Ontario, Canada drives innovation through a dynamic tech ecosystem that delivers highly educated talent, cutting-edge technologies and strong partnerships with world-class research and academic institutions. Each region brings unique strengths that are shaping the future across sectors together—from making groundbreaking discoveries to commercialization to scaling globally. Through the perspective of Ottawa and Waterloo, this panel will explore how collaboration fuels competitiveness in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and why global companies are choosing Ontario as their partner for expansion and growth.

Topics

• Ottawa and Waterloo are key players in Canada’s tech sector, particularly in cybersecurity, AI and deep tech, forming one of North America’s most competitive innovation ecosystems

• Success stories from each region: IBM cyber range in Ottawa and Communitechin Waterloo

• Ottawa’s close connection to public institutions has shaped the region’s tech strengths, especially when it comes to cybersecurity and defense and responsible AI development

• Waterloo’s dynamic tech ecosystem, from start-ups to scale-ups turning ideas into market-ready solutions and some of the world’s biggest tech companies building the future