Home to a diversified ICT & Digital Technologies cluster
Some of the world's most recognized ICT and digital technologies companies are based in Greater Halifax. They span a number of industries and include:
- Research in Motion, whose largest Technical Support Centre is based in Halifax;
- Lockheed Martin, the aerospace and defence giant;
- CGI, one of the largest independent ICT services firms in North America;
- Citco, a leading BPO provider to the hedge fund industry; and,
- HB Studios, ranked 48th on the 2010 Develop 100 list of the "World's Most Successful Game Studios."
Why Choose Halifax?
- We’re strategically located, whether you are moving goods in and out of North America, or delivering services across European, North American and Caribbean time zones.
- Our multi-modal transportation infrastructure and transload capabilities will get your goods to market – fast!
- We’re Canada’s smart city, with one of the best educated workforces in all of Canada. More than two-thirds of Halifax's population has a trade, college or university designation. We have one of the largest concentrations of universities in North America, with a local enrolment of 30,000 students every year. This is in addition to the some 11,000 students across Nova Scotia who attend the Nova Scotia Community College, as well as students graduating from universities in nearby provinces. Three universities and one college in metro Halifax alone offer programs important to the digital industries sector.
- Reliable and secure telecommunications infrastructure that includes: Hibernia Atlantic’s Halifax International Exchange Centre, providing fast and secure transmission of data between commercial North American and European clients; a stable and self-sufficient power grid; and 100% Broadband availability.
- Competitive business costs. Halifax offers more competitive business costs compared to other cities across North America. In 2010 Competitive Alternatives survey of 95 jurisdictions in ten countries, KPMG found that Halifax had significantly lower business costs for back office, software design and web multimedia companies compared to all of the major ICT centers surveyed: Lyon (FR), New York, Seattle, San Fransisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Boston. Furthermore, it ranked 13th out of all 95 jurisdictions in terms of costs for web & multimedia companies. Halifax also offers competitive digital industries salaries.
- Major incentives, including the Nova Scotia Digital Tax Credit and Nova Scotia Payroll Rebate and a number of other incentives to help you invest in Greater Halifax, as listed below:
- Nova Scotia Payroll Rebate
- Nova Scotia Digital media tax Credit
- Productivity Investment Program (PIP): Capital Investment Incentive and Workplace Innovation and Productivity Skills Incentive.
- ACOA's Atlantic Innovation Fund
- ACOA's Business Development Program (BDP)
- NRC's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)
- The Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) Program
- Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP)
Notable ICT and Digital Technologies Companies in Halifax
Industry Voices
"We have been watching Halifax for a very very long time, and there are a number of programs that have been put in place to enable video game companies to come to Nova Scotia and Halifax...so we jumped on the bandwagon!...There is a great pool of talent and a balanced incentive program to make Halifax attractive." Gerard Guillemot
President, Longtail Studios "With its skilled workforce, business friendly environment, competitive costs, and advantageous geographical locations, Nova Scotia has been a corner-stone of our Canadian operations for many years and will continue to be an important part of our growth strategy." Richard D. Ackerman
VP - Business Development, L-3 Electronic Systems |