Ottawa Fact Sheet - Q2 2010

Mayor’s Mission to China Boosts Incoming China Visits

Ottawa Features a “China Month” in June

OCRI’s China strategy for Ottawa reached a new milestone in June. Two major objectives set for 2010 were to increase the number of invited delegations from China to Ottawa and to move from relationship building to a focus on deal generation. June saw those objectives reached.

A key tactic was having Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien lead nine Ottawa-area companies to Beijing and three other Chinese cities in April. The benefits from that mission have been almost immediate. From late May to early July, Ottawa welcomed 7 separate delegations from China. June was an unofficial “China Month” in Ottawa!
 
• May 27: Suzhou Industrial Park of China Visited UBM Techinsights in Ottawa
Suzhou Industrial Park, one of the state approved industrial parks in China, visited UBM Techinsights to discuss the possibilities of cooperation. Ottawa is the only city in Canada that they chose to visit on their trip to North America. Mike and Sophie of OGM joined the meeting to give the delegates an overview of the Ottawa industries and economic strengths. Techinsights has an office in Shanghai.

• June 8, 2010: Vice Governor of Guangdong Provincial Government Visited Ottawa
The Vice Governor of Guangdong Province of China, Mr. LIN Musheng, led a delegation to visit Ottawa. Their focus was the impact on economic development of consumer protection and the protection of intellectual property. OGM hosted the meeting at the  offices of the law firm Gowling’s to brief the group on the economic strengths of the Ottawa region with Gowling’s handling the legal framework. Shawn Steil,  Deputy Director, Greater China and Mongolia, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, also participated in the OCRI meeting and made the closing remarks. The visit closed with the Mayor of Ottawa greeting the delegation in his office.  

• June 14, 2010: Ottawa Tourism and Greatwall of China Signing Friendship Agreement
Upon the invitation of Ottawa Tourism, delegates from the Badaling Great Wall visited Ottawa and signed an Agreement of Cooperation on June 14th  in Ottawa to advance the cultural exchange and cooperation between the Rideau Canal and Great Wall. In April 2010, the President of Ottawa Tourism visited Beijing and signed a similar Agreement of Cooperation with Badaling. The Ottawa signing event expresses the enthusiasm and friendship of the people of Ottawa, and also signifies the official start of cooperation between Canada and China.

• June 16, 2010: Z-Park of Beijing, China visited Ottawa
In 2008, OCRI and Z-Park signed a cooperation agreement to promote two-way partnerships in the research, trade and investment between Ottawa and Beijing. During the April visit to Beijing, OCRI and the Z-Park jointly held a seminar on opportunities in Ottawa for Beijing companies. The Beijing host was the newly appointed Vice Director of Z-Park, Mr. ZHOU Yunfan. As a result of an invitation issued then, he led a group of Z-Park officials to Ottawa to further enhance the high-level interactions between Beijing and Ottawa. The Mayor of Ottawa hosted a meeting at his office to greet the delegation and reaffirmed his support for economic cooperation between Beijing and Ottawa. The delegation also visited the Huawei research centre in Ottawa.

• June 23, 2010: CECEP visit to Plasco and Ottawa
Mr. Wang, the president of China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group (CECEP) visited Ottawa to follow up on agreements made with Plasco during the April visit. A Joint Venture agreement was signed between Plasco and CECEP to implement the Plasco technology for waste to energy conversion throughout China. The first target is to have a plant operating in Beijing. The opportunity was also used for Mr Wang to visit the Mayor and address Ottawa City Council, for OCRI to introduce 11 other cleantech companies to the CEGEP team visiting Ottawa, for CECEP to meet with senior federal officials and for them to attend the Canada China Business Forum.

• June 24, 2010: Canada China Business Forum(CCBF) took place in Ottawa
The 4th Canada China Business Forum(CCBF) was held in Ottawa on 24 June. The Chinese partner of the forum, China Council For the Promotion of International Trade(CCPIT), brought a delegation of 300 Chinese visitors, the largest foreign business delegation to ever visit Ottawa. The Forum coincided with the official visit of President Hu to Ottawa. The Chinese companies attended the forum to discuss potential cooperation opportunities with Ottawa and Canadian companies. The Forum closed with a banquet that featured addresses by both President Hu and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

• July 5, 2010: Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau Visited Ottawa
Mr. ZHANG Xinmin of Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau visited Ottawa and met with Michael Darch and Sophie Chen of OCRI. The two organizations signed a cooperation agreement on the Mayor’s trip to Beijing in April 2010. The meeting concentrated on discussions on how to translate the MOU into practical activity and how each partner could increase the knowledge of interactions between their respective business communities.

OCRI extends its thanks to the DFAIT team in Ottawa and in China who have helped make the growing connection between Ottawa and China possible. We would also like to thank the Invest in Canada Community Investment program for their financial assistance.

Michael Darch
Executive Director

Unemployment Rates June 2009-June 2010
(StatsCan) Monthly, Seasonally Adjusted

Unemployment Rates June 2010
(StatsCan) Monthly, Seasonally Adjusted

Local Employment Outlook
(Manpower Inc. Survey 3rd Quarter 2010)

Overall New Home Starts in Ottawa (CMHC)

1999: $274M
2000: $1.3B
2001: $921M
2002: $734M
2003: $241.71M
2004: $189.58M
2005: $359.40M
2006: $266.10M
2007: $184.45M
2008: $130.21M
2009: $33.46M
2010: $13.95M

Click here for a detailed list of 2010 funding in the NCR

Telus commits $9M to Ottawa as part of $150M Ontario investment for broadband services Ottawa Business Journal (19/04/10)
Telus Corp. (TSX:T) is planning to spend $9 million in 2010 to expand its advanced broadband services in Ottawa, as part of a recent nationwide push that’s seen the firm pledge more than $1.75 billion for this year.

UPDATE: Huawei to grow to 250 staff, invest $50M in Ottawa over next three years Ottawa Business Journal (20/04/10)
Just about a year after quietly setting up its first Canadian research and development centre in Kanata, Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies is ready to spread its wings in the city.

BreconRidge to be acquired by Sanmina-SCI for $53M Ottawa Business Journal (27/04/10)
Manufacturing giant Sanmina-SCI has agreed to buy Ottawa-based competitor BreconRidge Corp. for up to $53 million.

UPDATE: dna13 bought by CNW Ottawa Business Journal (29/04/10)
Public relations management solutions maker dna13 has been bought by newswire company CNW Group for an undisclosed sum.

Sidense scores $5M in VC funding Ottawa Business Journal (11/05/10)
Memory chip maker Sidense Corp. has landed Ottawa’s second venture capital deal of the year, a $5-million Series-B round that includes participation from both Canadian and international investors.

Carleton duo takes top prize at Tech Venture Challenge Ottawa Business Journal (12/05/10)
A blend of thorough market research, innovative technology and sheer entrepreneurial passion allowed Aurora Corals to claim the top prize Tuesday night at the annual Technology Venture Challenge.

Bridgewater opens new development office in India Ottawa Business Journal (18/05/10)
Bridgewater Systems Corp. (TSX:BWC) has opened a new office in India, near the capital of the populous South Asian country.

Mitel reels in partnership with Cannes Film Festival Ottawa Business Journal (19/05/10)
Mitel Networks Corp. (NASDAQ:MITL) has become an official partner of the television channel that’s exclusively broadcasting the Cannes Film Festival’s highlights, the Ottawa-based company announced Wednesday.

Energate raises $7.2M in Series B VC round Ottawa Business Journal (27/05/10)
Deal brings Ottawa's quarterly funding total to $12.2M
Smart thermostat maker Energate Inc. has secured $7.2 million in venture capital funding, marking the second VC round raised by a local company in just over two weeks.

Jennerex cancer drug shows positive IV delivery test results Ottawa Business Journal (27/05/10)
Jennerex Inc. is reporting positive test results that indicate patients might eventually be able to have cancer medication safely administered along with other drugs through an intravenous drip, revolutionizing cancer treatment.

Nortel wraps up sale of CVAS business to GENBAND; almost 400 Ottawa jobs preserved Ottawa Business Journal (28/05/10)
GENBAND has completed its acquisition of the Nortel’s carrier voice-over-Internet protocol and application solutions business, one of the last major pieces of the fallen telecom giant to be sold.

Clutch of local firms crack Profit 100 list Ottawa Business Journal (02/06/10)
Four Ottawa companies have been named to Profit Magazine's recent fastest growing company listings, known as the Profit 100.

Ottawa company receives approval to market autoimmune drug Ottawa Business Journal (03/06/10)
Just a few days after receiving approval to market its drug Berinert in European markets, Ottawa-based CSL Behring Canada announced June 3 that it can also sell that drug in Canada.

Ottawa-based tech fund completes IPO of $500,000, awaits TSX listing Ottawa Business Journal (07/06/10)
A new Ottawa fund designed to invest in emerging technology companies announced Friday that it successfully finished its IPO and has conditional acceptance to list on the TSX.

Wind Works kicks off first German project Ottawa Business Journal (08/06/10)
Wind Works Power Corp., hot off an agreement to acquire seven new projects through the Ontario Power authority's new Feed-in-Tariff program, announced Tuesday it now has a fully-owned interest in Wind Park Burg I, a four-megawatt project in eastern Germany.

Better VC access the aim of CATAAlliance, Silicon Valley partnership Ottawa Business Journal (10/06/10)
There's a new superhighway to United States venture capital through a recently announced partnership between CATAAlliance, Canada's largest high-tech association, and a Silicon Valley non-profit, said CATAAlliance's president and chief executive.

Clearford raises $1.5M through private placement round Ottawa Business Journal (15/06/10)
Efforts to raise cash from selling securities netted nearly $1.5 million for Clearford Industries Inc. (TSX-V:CLI), the company announced on Monday.

Carleton professor develops parking payments by text Ottawa Business Journal (15/06/10)
As part of local enterprise-services firm Espirity Inc., Carleton University graduate and professor Dwight Duego unveiled a new way of paying for parking at a presentation held at the university on Tuesday.

Plasco Alberta clean-energy plant gets $10M boost Ottawa Business Journal (17/06/10)
A waste facility in Red Deer, Alta. helmed by that province's branch of Kanata-based Plasco will receive $10 million from the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corp., Plasco announced on Wednesday.

Chemaphor enters animal stem cell therapy market with acquisition Ottawa Business Journal (21/06/10)
Ottawa-based organic chemistry company Chemaphor Inc. (TSX-V:CFR) has secured the exclusive marketing rights for a stem cell regenerative therapy for pets and horses in Canada with the purchase of a private company.

Oculus eyes acquisition of three privately owned companies Ottawa Business Journal (22/06/10)
Ottawa-based capital-pool company Oculus Ventures Corp. (TSX-V:OXP) will seek approval to add three privately owned companies to its portfolio, the company announced on Monday.

Enablence completes merger with Teledata Ottawa Business Journal (24/06/10)
Enablence Technologies Inc. (TSX-V:ENA) has finished a previously announced merger with Israel's Teledata, the companies announced Wednesday.

TeraGo purchases wireless spectrum in Ottawa Ottawa Business Journal (24/06/10)
Canadian network service provider TeraGo Inc. (TSX:TGO) aims to purchase licences in Ottawa, and five other major markets, for the wireless spectrum intended for Ethernet broadband between business, government and cellular backhaul.

OCRI signs memorandum of understanding with U.K.-based wireless firm Ottawa Business Journal (29/06/10)
At a United Kingdom conference concerning the future of wireless, representatives from OCRI will ink a memorandum of understanding with Cambridge Wireless.

Clearford completes private placement, raising money for China work Ottawa Business Journal (14/07/10)
Wastewater company Clearford Industries Inc. (TSX-V:CLI) met its goal of reaching $500,000 subscribed for in a private placement, clearing the way for expansion in China, the company announced on Wednesday.

Smart Technologies raises US$660M in biggest Canadian tech IPO in decade Ottawa Business Journal (15/07/10)
A Calgary company with manufacturing operations in Ottawa has raised US$660 million in an initial public offering, and will begin trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Thursday.

Made-in-Ottawa Cloakware technology to protect Netflix content Ottawa Business Journal (16/04/10)
Online video rental company Netflix Inc. has chosen Irdeto’s Ottawa-developed Cloakware security technology to protect the former’s streamed content.

COM DEV buys Ottawa-based subcontractor Routes AstroEngineering for $1.7M Ottawa Business Journal (16/04/10)
COM DEV International Ltd. (TSX:CDV) has bought an Ottawa-based space technology manufacturing firm with “unusual liquidity concerns.”

Oracle lands $12.6M in federal contracts Ottawa Business Journal (16/04/10)
The Ottawa office of a multinational computer technology firm landed eight software deals with the federal government this month, worth a combined $12.6 million.

Mitel wins French construction firm deal Ottawa Business Journal (21/04/10)
Mitel Networks Corp.’s unified communications technology has been chosen to connect the 52,600 associates in more than 80 countries employed by French firm Bouygues Construction.

March Networks scores $7M bank deal Ottawa Business Journal (22/04/10)
March Networks Corp. (TSX:MN) has won a $7-million deal to provide its digital security surveillance technology to an unnamed banking chain with more than 2,000 U.S. locations.

Sciemetric wins $1.9M order from Johnson & Johnson Ottawa Business Journal (22/04/10)
Sciemetric Instruments Inc. has won a $1.9-million order for its quality assurance technology from health-care products behemoth Johnson & Johnson.

DataKinetics signs up resellers for U.K., South America and Asia Pacific regions Ottawa Business Journal (23/04/10)
Ottawa-based DataKinetics has landed reseller pacts with three international partners covering four different regions, the company announced Friday.

BTI tapped to extend Cameron Communications' Texas and Louisiana fibre network Ottawa Business Journal (28/04/10)
BTI Systems has won a deal to support the extension of a fibre network that will span 13 territories in the southern United States.

OSI's mapping business gets $4M contract Ottawa Business Journal (28/04/10)
OSI Geospatial Inc. (TSX:OSI) has won a $4-million deal for its mapping division, the company announced Wednesday.

AMITA wins bid to help build EU bomb database Ottawa Business Journal (28/04/10)
Ottawa-based AMITA Corp. has been awarded a contract by the European Union’s law enforcement agency to develop a database of information on bombs.

Energate's smart thermostat to be put into Silver Spring system Ottawa Business Journal (30/04/10)
Home energy management technology firm Energate has signed a partnership with California-based smart meter maker Silver Spring Networks that will see the Ottawa company’s smart thermostat incorporated into the latter’s systems.

Thermal Energy wins 1,000-unit Kuwait order; cancels more shares in TSX-V review Ottawa Business Journal (04/05/10)
Thermal Energy International Inc. (TSX-V:TMG) has announced a new order for its steam trap from the Kuwait National Petroleum Corp., its third deal with the Middle Eastern firm.

C-COM technology puts Malaysian postal, telecom services on wheels Ottawa Business Journal (05/05/10)
C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. (TSX-V:CMI) has announced it’s supplying its iNetVu mobile antenna system for the first-ever mobile post office initiative in Malaysia.

Accentus scores transcription deal with Toronto hospital Ottawa Business Journal (05/05/10)
Less than a month after winning a deal with Ottawa’s Queensway Carleton Hospital, local firm Accentus Inc. has secured another contract with the Toronto East General Hospital to provide outsourced medical transcription solutions.

IDC scores European 3D cinema deal Ottawa Business Journal (10/05/10)
International Datacasting Corp. (TSX:IDC) has won a 1.15-million-euro deal to provide equipment for the expansion of a European customer’s ability to stream three-dimensional, live content into theatres.

Telepin banks deal with Mauritanian mobile network operator Ottawa Business Journal (11/05/10)
Mobile payment solutions maker Telepin Software has won a deal with an African mobile network operator, the Ottawa-based company announced Tuesday.

Zarlink makes time with India's Tejas Networks Ottawa Business Journal (13/05/10)
Zarlink Semiconductor Inc. (TSX:ZL)’s new synchronization technology has been picked up for use in an Indian company’s optical network switching platform.

Zarlink's $15M sale of 'moribund' optical business will spur growth Ottawa Business Journal (17/05/10)
Zarlink Semiconductor (TSX:ZL) has sold its optical products group to Tyco Electronics (NYSE:TEL) for $15 million in cash, the Ottawa-based chip maker announced Monday.

Searidge wins Edmonton International Airport deal Ottawa Business Journal (19/05/10)
Searidge Technologies has won a deal to provide air traffic control technology to the Edmonton International Airport, as part of the latter’s $1-billion expansion project.

IDC scores World Cup-fuelled 3D technology wins Ottawa Business Journal (20/05/10)
International Datacasting Corp. (TSX:IDC) said the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa has spurred a flurry of new deals for its 3D live broadcast satellite solution, from both new and existing customers around the world.

Mitel selected for Saudi Arabian health care supply Ottawa Business Journal (09/06/10)
Just days after announcing a distribution agreement with an Australian firm, Mitel Networks Corp. (NASDAQ: MITL) has inked another international agreement with a Saudi Arabian firm.

C-COM announces $1M in orders from China Ottawa Business Journal (15/06/10)
Ottawa-based C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. (TSX-V:CMI) announced Tuesday that it has received $1 million of new orders from China for its iNetVu mobile antenna systems.

WiLAN, Sharp ink wireless-patent license agreement Ottawa Business Journal (17/06/10)
Ottawa wireless firm Wi-LAN Inc. (TSX:WIN) announced another patent license agreement on Thursday, this time with Toronto-based electronics firm Sharp Corp.

MDS Nordion, Guerbet, Cyceron enter cancer-diagnosis agreement Ottawa Business Journal (24/06/10)
MDS Nordion will work with two French companies to create radiotracers to diagnose cancer, the Ottawa-based firm announced on Wednesday.

Plasco to sign joint venture with Chinese firm Ottawa Business Journal (24/06/10)
Plasco Energy Group announced Wednesday it will enter a joint venture agreement with China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group, during Thursday's state visit to Canada from China.

Searidge sells majority stake to NAV Canada Ottawa Business Journal (30/06/10)
The country’s civil aviation navigation authority has purchased a majority stake in Gatineau-based Searidge Technologies, the company announced late on Wednesday.

IDC inks US$16M direct-to-home broadcasting contract in sub-Saharan Africa Ottawa Business Journal (30/06/10)
Stocks of International Datacasting Corp. (TSX:IDC) rose more than 12 per cent in the hours after the broadband multimedia provider said it signed a $16 million-deal to bring television programming to Africa.

Thermal Energy subsidiary inks energy pact worth up to $1.8M Ottawa Business Journal (06/07/10)
An energy agreement signed by a subsidiary of Ottawa clean-tech firm Thermal Energy International Inc. (TSX-V: TMG) with generate up to $1.8 million in revenue, the company announced Monday.

Telepin gets tapped for UAE mobile network services Ottawa Business Journal (07/07/10)
A UAE mobile-money transaction firm picked Ottawa mobile payment solutions maker Telepin to help customers in the emirates refill their prepaid phones, the firms announced on Monday.

CORADIX wins $12.3M in federal IT contracts Ottawa Business Journal (13/07/10)
An Ottawa-based information management and IT services firm has been awarded a two-year deal to overhaul the Correctional Service of Canada’s offender management system.