Government of Canada showcases partnership with Nokia to expand Canada's leadership in 5G research and development

Today, the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, accompanied by the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade; Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry; and the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement, participated in a groundbreaking ceremony to showcase Nokia's project to invest in research and development (R&D) in advanced networking in Canada.

Canadians rely on technology to work, commute, conduct business transactions and stay in touch with loved ones. The Government of Canada is investing in innovative technologies that will advance Canada's digital infrastructure for generations to come. Nokia's work will include the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop new innovations and applications in advanced networking. Advanced 5G networks will bring transformative economic and technological benefits to Canadians--this next step in wireless networking is expected to add over $200 billion to Canada's economy by 2040.

This partnership will bring economic benefits to the Ottawa region, improve Canada's 5G ecosystem and network, and fuel prosperity in Canada's entire tech sector. This collaboration supports the advancement of 5G networks and will pave the way for new and innovative technology applications, such as defence, telecommunications, clean energy, precision agriculture, autonomous vehicles and modern telemedicine. 

The governments of Canada and Ontario have partnered with Nokia to support the expansion of its Ottawa facility. Nokia is revitalizing and growing its core lab space as well as undertaking a brand-new suite of R&D activities that represents the next step in 5G advanced wireless networking. Nokia is expected to create more than 340 jobs and increase the number of co-op positions for post-secondary students. The Government of Canada contributed $40 million to this project through the Strategic Response Fund's innovation stream.