There is a moment in every city’s evolution when its people pause—not just to look around, but to look within. To see not just what we are, but what we can become. For Ottawa, that moment is now.
We are builders, founders, researchers, educators, policymakers, creators, and entrepreneurs. A region that has launched legendary entrepreneurs and global tech giants. Shaped international policy. Treated millions of patients. Powered global commerce, music and broadcasts from the Super Bowl to the Oscars. We are Canada in one city, welcoming the world everyday.
We’ve always built boldly. Now it’s time to show the world what Ottawa is made of.
Ottawa Innovation Week, launching June 9–13, is more than a series of events. A citywide movement of our bold innovation and global impact. And a powerful platform to showcase our brave, brazen and brilliant community to the world—and to ourselves.
Spearheaded by Ottawa Unlimited, a partnership between Invest Ottawa, the Ottawa Board of Trade, and Ottawa Tourism, this week-long celebration is our invitation to unite across every sector, community, and corner of our region. It’s time to tell our story, show our strength, and step fully into our role as a global innovation capital.
In this era of rapid disruption and economic uncertainty, we have a unique opportunity to build something greater together. And unity is not an option. It is an imperative. We cannot afford to operate in silos or leave anyone behind—not in a country of just 44 million people. Not in a region of 1.3 million with the highest concentration of tech talent per capita in North America.
Ottawa punches far above its weight. With more than 1,800 companies driving breakthroughs in software, communications, cleantech, defence, healthtech, and AI, our region spans mainstreet and mobility. We’re home to cultural icons, world-class post-secondary institutions, Canada’s largest tech park, and the most educated workforce in the country. And our spirit of collaboration? It’s our superpower.
But how we build this future matters just as much as what we build. Innovation must be inclusive by design—equipping every person, from every walk of life, with the opportunity to contribute and thrive. At Invest Ottawa, I see this every day in the founders and companies we are honoured to serve. It’s possible. It’s powerful. And it’s already happening.
The Prime Minister strives to build Canada as the strongest economy in the G7. I believe Ottawa can lead by example. Not just with GDP or jobs created—but with a new kind of growth. Growth that’s powered by ideas. Fueled by shared ambition. Grounded in equity. Growth that unites us. This greatness lives in the founders, companies, artists, researchers, visionaries and risk-takers who believe in what’s possible — and then build it, right here. In every corner of our city. I see it every day.
We’re not just a capital city. We are a capital of infinite possibility and global impact.
So, let’s make this moment count.
Let’s rally our ecosystem, our institutions, our neighbours, and our networks. Let’s discover the breakthroughs being made in our labs, studios, arenas, classrooms, and boardrooms. Let’s unlock global opportunities with homegrown ingenuity.
Join us. Be part of Innovation Week. Host an event. Attend one. Tell your story. Champion your community. Collaborate boldly.
Because when we come together—across backgrounds, sectors, and borders—we are unstoppable. Ottawa is bold innovation with global impact. And we are just getting started.
Let’s show everyone what we are made of in Ottawa—and how we’re building our country and our world.
Sonya Shorey, President and CEO, for Invest Ottawa, Bayview Yards, and Area X.O, is a strategy executive and management consultant with more than 22 years of leadership experience with private and public organizations. With expertise in regional, national, and global technology, entrepreneurial, economic development, and innovation-based organizations, she specializes in corporate, communications and investment strategy development and execution.
