ICTC delivers the largest and most rigorous ICT data analysis and research infrastructure in Canada.
Our research adheres to the highest research standards leveraging our strong industry, government, and academic networks. Our digital policy advice enables us to facilitate developing a competency-based innovative and productive workforce required in Canada and enables industries to maintain a competitive edge in the global marketplace.
2020-21 Releases
Uncharted Waters: A World-Class Canadian E-Learning Paradigm
Ivus, M., Quan, T., Snider, N. (2021)
This third ICTC edtech report elaborates on the opportunities and challenges of distance learning and its transition from emergency measure to long-term adoption in Canadian K-12 and post-secondary education. [Full Report]
Settling for More: Matching Newcomers to Alberta’s Tech Sector
Farmer, T., O’Neill, K., Toor, M. (2021)
“Settling for More: Matching Newcomers to Alberta’s Tech Sector” investigates how to enhance newcomer integration into Alberta’s digital economy. It examines current labour supply and demand, and offers potential solutions to six key challenges faced by newcomers. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
Canadian Agri-food Technology: Sowing the Seeds for Tomorrow
Ivus., M., Matthews, M., Snider., N., Taillon, P., Watson, M. (2021)
“Canadian Agri-food Technology: Sowing the Seeds for Tomorrow” explores how Canada can play a pivotal role in global food supplies by leveraging digital technologies to navigate intense competitive pressures, labour shortages, food security and safety, and food traceability. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
Benchmarking the Creative Technology Ecosystem in British Columbia
Cutean, A., McLaughlin, R., O’Neill, K., Quan, T. (2021)
This first-of-its-kind report for the sector, Benchmarking the Creative Technology Ecosystem in British Columbia, examines both the creative tech sector’s job-development potential and demand for talent across animation, visual effects, and video game companies in the province, along with current post-secondary training opportunities. [Full Report]
Maximizing Strengths and Spearheading Opportunity: Towards an Industrial Strategy for Canadian Artificial Intelligence
Brandusescu, A., Cutean, A., Dawson, P., Davidson, R., Matthews M., and O’Neill, K. (2021)
This report, Maximizing Strengths and Spearheading Opportunity: Towards an Industrial Strategy for Canadian Artificial Intelligence, provides research and insight into the realm of possibilities to bolster Canadian AI commercialization and market growth. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
Onwards and Upwards: Digital Talent Outlook 2025
Ivus, M. and Kotak, A. (2021)
This report, Onwards and Upwards: Digital Talent Outlook 2025, examines the most in-demand occupations across the digital economy and their associated critical competencies and skills. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
Digital Transformation: The Next Big Leap in Healthcare
Hamoni, R., Matthews, M., and Watson, M. (2021)
This report, Digital Transformation: The Next Big Leap in Healthcare, unravels Canada’s evolving healthcare landscape in the context of technology adoption. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
Smart Cities, Smart Governments: ICTC Policy Roundtable on Smart Government in Canada
Matthews, M. and O’Neill, K. (2021)
This brief discusses insights gathered from the fourth in a series of six Smart City Policy Roundtables. It discusses how a vibrant and inclusive smart economy will increasingly depend on “smart” governments that harness technology to enhance decision-making and services. [Full Report]
Canadian Findings on the Future of Work
Leblanc, S., Mary, E., O’Neill, K., and Quan, T. (2021)
This report, Emergent Employment: Canadian Findings on the Future of Work investigates the changing patterns, relationships, and norms of work. It focuses on gig and remote work, which are emblematic of the future of work. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
Smart Mobility in the Smart City: ICTC Roundtable
Ivus, M., Taillon, P. (2021)
This brief discusses insights from ICTC’s third roundtable in a series on creating vibrant and inclusive Canadian cities. Held February 2021, it highlights the critical role of data, citizen engagement, and the need for a national smart mobility roadmap for private and public partnerships. [Full Report]
Work in Progress: Emerging Smart City Occupations
Kotak, A. and O’Neill, K.(2021)
This report profiles emerging roles resulting from investments in smart city development. It describes their creation and evolution, and the accompanying responsibilities, backgrounds, skills, and teams. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
Just Press “Print”: Canada’s Additive Manufacturing Ecosystem
Herron, C., Ivus, M., and Kotak, A.(2021)
This report explores Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies and their applications, strengths, weaknesses, and challenges in the context of the global AM ecosystem. It also assesses the demand for AM talent and proposes recommendations for increasing the adoption of AM technologies across Canada. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
Century Digital Skills: Competencies, Innovations and Curriculum in Canada
Ivus, M., Quan, T., and Snider, N. (2021)
The report includes examples of how innovative digital technologies such as 3D printing, AI, VR/AR, Apps, Gamification, and LMS tools are being incorporated into Canadian classrooms to develop future-ready skills and competencies, and which skills and competencies are best developed through their adoption in K-12 schools. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
Inclusivity and Accessibility at the Core: Pathways to
Employment in the Digital Economy for Albertans with Disabilities
Cutean, A., and Martell, T. (2021)
This report t looks at the barriers that people with disabilities face in accessing meaningful employment in Alberta’s digital economy. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
“Building Canada’s Future AI
Workforce in the Brave New (Post-Pandemic) World
Hamoni, R., Lin, O., Matthews, M., and Taillon, P.J. (2021)
This report explores the support needed for Canada’s digital workforce to acquire AI skills through various training pathways: broad upskilling initiatives to target widely needed digital skills and strategic cross-training programs to address acute needs like those in the field of AI.[Full Report] [Report Overview]
Procurement Office or “Living Lab?” Experimenting with Procurement and Partnerships for Smart Cities Technologies in Canada
Farmer, T., Matthews M., and Rice, F. (2021)
This report explores the importance of understanding and choosing the right procurement approaches that ensure the best technology solutions become part of Canada’s growing smart city infrastructure. [Full Report] [Report Overview]
Designing Smart and Sustainable Communities: ICTC Cities Roundtable on Energy Transition for Canada
Matthews, M., Rice, F. (2021)
This policy brief distils the priorities outlined by roundtable attendees It highlights the need for coordination and targeted efforts from all levels of Canadian society.[Full Report]
Responsible Innovation in Canada and Beyond: Understanding and Improving the Social Impacts of Technology
Matthews, M., Rice, F., Quan, T. (2021)
This report examines the rapidly changing world of technology ethics and features recommendations for improving the social impacts of technology across industry, academia, government, and society.[Full Report] [Report Overview]
The Rebuild: Going Digital and the Role of Canadian Telecom in a Post-COVID Future
Cutean, A., McLaughlin, R.
This report considers the essential role of universal and high-quality telecommunications services, including 5G, in supporting the next generation of technologies for a competitive and resilient Canadian economy.[Full Report]
Smart Developments at Home and Abroad: Smart Cities Monitoring Report 2019-20
Martell, T., Quan, T.
This monitoring report examines national and international examples of smart city initiatives that took shape—either in concept or rollout—during the March 2019 to March 2020 period, and which also fall under ICTC’s key smart city priority areas: smart energy and environment, smart infrastructure, smart mobility, smart government, smart health and wellbeing, and smart regulation.[Full Report] [Report Overview]
Bolstering Growth: The Next Frontier for Canadian Startups
Cutean, A., Farmer, T., Matthews, M.
Canada’s path to post-COVID economic recovery will be tied to the competitiveness of Canadian startups and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), which are the heart of Canada’s economic engine and growth.[Full Report]
Spanning the Virtual Frontier
Farmer, T., Matthews, M.
This report is a first-of-its-kind analysis that traces the emergence of immersive technology in Canada and provides a detailed picture of Canada’s immersive technology ecosystem.[Full Report] [Full Report (French)] [Report Overview]
TOWARDS A RESILIENT DIGITAL-LED ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC)
Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the Upcoming Federal Budget. [Full Report] [Full Report (French)] [Report Overview]
The Digital-Led New Normal: Revised Labour Market Outlook for 2022
Ivus, M., Kotak, A., McLaughlin, R.
In releasing this report, ICTC contributes to the emerging analyses of these twin economic and health crises by updating previous forecasts conducted in the Outlook 2023 report.[Full Report] [Full Report (French)] [Report Overview]
Chain Reaction: Investment in Canada’s Blockchain Ecosystem
Cutean, A., Hamoni, R.; Kotak, A.
This study examines opportunities for foreign direct investment (FDI) generation and attraction in Canada in the context of blockchain. [Full Report] [Full Report (French)] [Report Overview]
Betting on Red and White: International Investment in Canadian AI
Cutean, A., Hamoni, R., Herron, C., Schuller, K.
This report examines Canada’s opportunities for leveraging these strengths in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to attract high-quality foreign direct investment (FDI), supported by primary research.. [Full Report] [Full Report (French)] [Report Overview]
Loading the Future of Work
Cutean, A., Herron, C., Quan, T.
This research offers a historical overview of remote work, the gig economy, and the sharing economy,
depicting their evolution as disruptors to the “traditional” labour market and
economy. [Full Report] [Full Report (French)] [Report Overview]
Economic Resiliency in the Face of Adversity: From Surviving to Prospering
Anani, N., Cutean, A., McLaughlin, R., Rice, F
Explores potential policy levers in support of a green, more inclusive, and digital-based economic recovery in a post-COVID world.. [Full Report] [Full Report (French)]
Searching for Hidden Talent: Experience and Expertise in New Brunswick’s Cybersecurity Community
Herron, C.; Rice, F.; Snider, N.
Highlights New Brunswick’s well-networked tech ecosystem and its dedicated organizations playing a hands-on role in workforce development.. [Full Report] [Full Report (French)] [Report Overview]
Strengthening Canada-EU Ties and Scaling the Canadian Digital Economy
Cutean, A., Herron, C., Ivus, M.
Focusing on what is frequently described as Canada’s most progressive free trade agreement to date, this study offers an overview the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU from a digital economy trade perspective.[Full Report] [Full Report (French)]
Advances in Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: Current State and Future Trends
Ivus, M.; Kirk, B.; Taillon, P.
This paper is a complement to the white paper published originally by ICTC in 2017, entitled “Autonomous Vehicles and the Future of Work in Canada.”. [Full Report] [Full Report (French)]
Harnessing the Benefits of AI While Reducing the Harms ICTC Submission: OPC Consultation on Artificial Intelligence
Davidson, R; Schuller, M; Matthews, M;
Submitted in response to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s Proposals for ensuring appropriate regulation of artificial intelligence, March 2020. [Full Report] [Full Report (French)]
Collectively Building the Framework to Shape our Future Cities: A Year of Engagement with the ICTC Smart Cities Taskforces
Cutean, A., Hamoni, R., Quan, T.
This report describes the critical themes and insights that emerged from a year of smart cities taskforce meetings hosted by the Information and Communication Technology Council (ICTC). [Full Report]
Class, Take Out Your Tablets: The Impact of Technology on Learning and Teaching in Canada
Ivus, M.; Quan, T.; Snider, N.
This study explores this intersection between technology developments, the role and needs of educators in this technology-skills transfer, and student learning experiences. [Full Report] [Full Report (French)] [Overview]
On the Edge of Tomorrow – Canada’s AI-Augmented Workforce
McLaughlin, R; Quan, T;
This study explores the current state of development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly evolving technology, identifies Canada’s greatest strengths in AI innovation, its regional development hubs, and discusses the implications of AI in the Canadian labour market. [Full Report] [Full Report (French)] [Overview]
A New Partnership with the EU: CETA and Digital FDI Opportunities for Canada
Cutean, A.; Ivus, M.; Ye, Z.
This study examines both the opportunities and challenges for attracting ICT-centred FDI investment into Canada. It provides a detailed snapshot of Canada’s tech ecosystems from coast to coast and the supports available for further growth. [Full Report][Full Report (French)] [Overview]
Essential Infrastructure for the Smart Economy — Smart Cities Roundtable
Cutean, A.; Farmer, T
The first in a series of five Smart City Policy Roundtables was hosted by ICTC in November 2019, engaging 30 thought leaders from across Canada, with areas of expertise in physical and digital infrastructure, cybersecurity and privacy, regulation, and talent readiness. [Full Report]
Building Canadian Consensus: Our Maturing Blockchain Ecosystem
Hamoni, R; McLaughlin, R; Rice, F
Canada’s blockchain ecosystem consists of over 280 companies employing 1600 workers, predominantly in the finance, fintech, and information and communications technology (ICT) sectors, according to a comprehensive new blockchain study released today by ICTC. [Full Report][Full Report (French)] [Overview]
Canada’s Growth Currency: Digital Talent Outlook 2023
Cutean, A.; Hamoni, R.; McLaughlin, R.; Ye, Z.
Canada’s demand for digitally-skilled talent is expected to reach 305,000 by 2023, for total employment of over 2 million in the digital economy, according to a report released today by ICTC. [Full Report][Full Report (French)] [Overview]
Artificial Intelligence and the Forestry Sector
Taillon, P.
Developing AI systems requires access to high-volume, high-quality datasets, and a key complement to this disruption will be the network infrastructure of the Internet-of-Things (IoT), notably 5G deployment. The forestry sector is an example of an industry that can leverage this combination, where data collection and analytics will be crucial to effective operations and supply chain management.[Full Report]
Transformative Technologies for Smart Canadian Cities
Rice, F.
Following the release of ICTC’s inaugural Smart Cities policy brief, Smart City Priority Areas and Labour Market Readiness for Canadians, this new work builds on and presents an overview of the key technologies that are destined to shape the development of smart cities and municipalities while enhancing civic life. [Full Report]
Smart City Priority Areas and Labour Market Readiness for Canadians
Brown, H.; Cutean, A.; Quan, T.
ICTC’s first release from its multi-year national initiative on smart cities, this brief crafts the framework by which to assess future labour market impacts and shifting skill needs that will occur as our cities increasingly leverage technology to grow and change. [Full Report]
Enabling a Digital Future for Alberta
Cutean, A.; McLaughlin, R.
Over the last few years, Alberta has begun to actively seek methods of diversifying its economy while strengthening the competitive advantage of the oil & gas industry. Recent investments in upstream oil & gas digital transformation, as well as clean energy, biotech, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI), have served to shine a light on the province, making it an increasingly popular destination for skilled talent. ICTC forecasts that the demand for core digital jobs in Alberta is expected to reach nearly 9,000 by 2023, with total potential employment in these occupations numbering more than 77,000. [Full Report] [Overview]
MVNOs: Embracing the Next Wave of Telecommunication Services to Fuel Tomorrow’s Economy
Cutean, A.
This publication is part of ICTC’s independent policy papers. It explores the merits of MVNOs in fueling Canada’s economy and society; while also seeking to heighten the discourse on the importance of competition as an enabler of innovative telecommunications services to fuel tomorrow’s economy. [Full Report]
Developing Cyber Talent for Canadian Critical Infrastructure – Road Transportation
Ye, Z.; Donaldson, K.; Davidson, R.
Funded by Transport Canada, this report examines the demand for cybersecurity talent for Canadian road authorities. The study analyzes critical skillsets while highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to addressing challenges related to talent acquisition and skill development within the road transportation sector. [Full Report]
5G: Jumpstarting our digital future
Davidson, R.; McLaughlin, R.
This report provides a deep dive into the impact of 5G on employment, business transformation, and economic growth over the coming years in Canada. [Full Report]
EnAbling Change: Removing Barriers and Supporting Meaningful Employment of Ontarians with Disabilities in Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
Cutean, A.
By 2021, we estimate Canada will see a demand for approximately 216,000 digitally-skilled workers – 88,300 of that will impact Ontario. Meeting this demand will undoubtedly necessitate building a strong supply pipeline comprised of all human capital streams, including underrepresented groups like women, Indigenous communities and people with disabilities. [Full Report]
Shifting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to High-Growth Sectors in Canada: The Role of Investment Climate in FDI Diversification
Ye, Z.
Underlining the importance of FDI as a revenue-generating agent for the Canadian economy, the paper showcases key considerations on Canada’s journey of to attracting and diversifying international capital to high-growth sectors of the economy, like ICT. [Full Report]
Additive Manufacturing: The Impending Talent Paradigm
Ivus, M.
It is projected that the AM market will be around $17.7 billion globally in three years, and that in the next five years the manufacturing industry will look substantially different than it does today. Such rapid change brings both opportunities and challenges to businesses, workers and policymakers. [Full Report]
Digital Economy Talent Supply: Indigenous People of Canada
Cameron A.; Cutean, A.
With the advent of increased digitization and integration of transformative technologies into various sectors of the Canadian economy, ICTC forecasts an accelerated demand of around 216,000 ICT roles to be filled in Canada by 2021. This heightened demand for ICT talent makes the ability to build and support a robust supply pipeline essential for ensuring continuous economic growth. [Full Report]