Business Resource Directory
Our Business Resource Directory includes a wide range of resources available to support local business development and growth across the Halifax Region.
Innovate in Halifax
Explore what’s possible in a place where outstanding teams are inventing and creating like never before.
Accelerating Innovation
As one of Canada’s most exciting tech and innovation ecosystems, Halifax offers a connected and collaborative community that supports business development and growth at every stage.
Competitive Advantages
2,100
companies including startups, scaleups and established firms in Halifax's growing IT, life sciences, cleantech, financial services, ocean tech, and transportation and logistics sectors
Skilled talent
and expertise companies need for R&D and to develop new products and services fueled by eight universities and colleges
Lowest R&D costs
Canada is the lowest-cost G7 country for R&D (KPMG)
World-class infrastructure
including fibre optic networks with gigabit connections, a self-generating power grid, and reliable, fast, and secure data transmission between North America and Europe
Feed-in tech market
for new and established companies to adopt or commercialize
Top 5
North American tech market primed for growth, offering a strong labour market and growth opportunities for companies (CBRE, Scoring Tech Talent Report, 2024)
-
"The entire technology ecosystem in Halifax is very robust. It has created some of the top talent in Canada." - Dora Jonah, Delivery Centre Leader (Canada), Cognizant
Halifax Innovation District
Located in the heart of Halifax, on both sides of the harbour, is the Halifax Innovation District - a technology and research-dense community of entrepreneurs, post-secondary institutions, R&D facilities, startups and scaleups, established firms, and innovation hubs that are working together to develop and commercialize new products and services in Halifax's growth sectors.
Our Innovation District is home to more than 2,100 companies in Halifax's growing IT, life sciences, cleantech, financial services, ocean tech, and transportation and logistics sectors. It also offers companies access to one of the most concentrated talent pipelines in Canada graduating from the city's seven post-secondary institutions.
300
startups and scaleups
335+
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms
50%
of Halifax companies with 500+ employees
23,000
residents
35,000
students enrolled in universities and colleges
16,000
STEM enrolments across Halifax universities - 25% increase over the past 10 years.
Innovation & Startup Hubs
Partner with 15+ startup incubators and innovation hubs to bring your ideas to life and connect and collaborate with
like-minded innovators.
Featured Innovation Hubs
Volta provides world-class mentorship and support to new and growing startups, providing a place where they can learn from each other, grow, and expand to global markets.
The Centre for Ocean Ventures & Entrepreneurship (COVE) is a collaborative facility for applied innovation in the ocean sector.
The IdeaHUB helps students and faculty develop entrepreneurial and innovation capacity, design and build prototypes, and launch startups with a focus on “tough tech”.
Invest Nova Scotia works to find, fund, and foster innovative Nova Scotia start-ups that strive to change the world.
The Pier is a global centre of excellence for research and collaboration in port logistics, management, development, and planning.
The Nova Scotia Health Innovation Hub is a first-of-its-kind centre of excellence for health research and innovation in Atlantic Canada.
-
"We look at our founders as our customers. We want to make it easier for them to get into the program and connect with the right people so that we can become the most collaborative part of the ecosystem across the region." - Erin O'Keefe Graham, Director Emera ideaHUB
Universities & Colleges
Take advantage of the research expertise, R&D facilities, and
talent pipeline at Halifax's eight post-secondary institutions.
Featured Post-secondary Institutions
Dalhousie University
As Atlantic Canada’s leading research university, we excel in collaboration with industry and opportunity for discovery.
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) excels at working with industry to improve products, enhance processes, develop new technologies, and grow their business.
Saint Mary's University
Saint Mary’s University is Nova Scotia’s second largest university and a Canadian leader in international education and partnerships.
Halifax Innovation District Map
Find innovation hubs, incubators and accelerators, post-secondary institutions, R&D facilities, co-working spaces, and major employers in the Innovation District (the highlighted section of the map) and the broader ecosystem.