The Digital Technology Cluster (DIGITAL) is a policy initiative implemented by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) through its Global Innovation Clusters (GIC) initiative. DIGITAL supports a collaborative ecosystem of industry partners, SMEs, researchers, and public institutions to accelerate the development, adoption, and scaling of digital technologies in Canada. With a focus on sectors such as health, natural resources, and digital workforce development, DIGITAL funds projects that generate both economic value and social impact.
DIGITAL Cluster (Canada)
Abstract
The Global Innovation Clusters (GICs) programme, first launched in 2017 as the Innovation Superclusters Initiative and renamed in 2022, aims to enhance Canada’s innovation performance and competitiveness through co-creation with industry in five strategic domains identified by the government as nationally significant: digital technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), plant protein, oceans, and advanced manufacturing.
As a flagship component of Canada’s innovation policy, the GICs are designed to foster industry-led innovation ecosystems that link businesses, research institutions, and other partners to accelerate technology development and adoption. Each cluster defines its own priorities and project focus, while encouraging collaboration between large and small firms within and across sectors.
The Digital Technology Cluster – known as ‘DIGITAL’ – is one of Canada’s five GICs and serves as the federal government’s flagship initiative for advancing the development and diffusion of digital technologies across the economy. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, DIGITAL focuses on advancing Canada’s digital competitiveness by bringing together stakeholders across business, academia, and the public sector to accelerate the development, adoption, and scaling of digital solutions.
DIGITAL is governed as an industry-led, not-for-profit organisation, operating through a member-based, collaborative model. Its core mission is to drive responsible digital transformation by enabling industry-led consortia to co-develop interoperable digital technologies that address sector-specific and system-level challenges. This industry-led governance model represents a key differentiating feature, allowing priorities to align closely with market needs while maintaining public policy objectives. At the same time, it raises inherent trade-offs between inclusiveness and the speed of decision-making, particularly when coordinating across a diverse set of actors. DIGITAL focuses its efforts on priority sectors including healthcare, natural resources, and digital workforce development, while aligning its activities with national strategies in AI, quantum computing, data governance, and cybersecurity. In this context, DIGITAL complements the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy (PCAIS) by fostering applied AI adoption across sectors and connecting research excellence with industry-led deployment.
The DIGITAL Cluster operates a co-investment model, under which public funds are matched with private investment, supporting projects from early-stage validation to large-scale deployment. Beyond funding, it provides adoption-oriented services such as data standards development, talent programmes, and commercialisation support. A key insight from interviews is that this combination of funding and non-financial support is critical in addressing persistent barriers to digital adoption, particularly among SMEs. DIGITAL’s emphasis on interoperability and data governance was also identified as a distinctive feature compared to more R&D-focused initiatives, positioning the cluster as an enabler of system-level transformation rather than isolated innovation projects.
DIGITAL positions itself not only as a funder, but as a national digital innovation platform connecting SMEs, large firms, research institutions, and public actors. This platform approach is seen as central to its role in scaling technologies across sectors and fostering a more integrated digital ecosystem. The initiative is subject to ongoing monitoring and evaluation requirements under the GIC programme, including performance indicators related to collaboration, investment leveraged, and technology adoption. Nevertheless, interviewees pointed to the need for more robust and long-term evaluation frameworks to capture broader ecosystem impacts, such as productivity gains, diffusion of digital standards, and spillover effects across sectors. DIGITAL’s experience highlights both the potential and the challenges of using cluster-based models to drive economy-wide digital transformation.
The findings and analysis presented in this case study are based on a combination of 10 interviews and desk research. Between July and August 2025, the OECD TIP Secretariat Team conducted semi-structured interviews of approximately 60 minutes each with a diverse range of stakeholders directly involved in DIGITAL, including government representatives, cluster management, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large firms, and research organisations. The interviews covered topics such as DIGITAL Cluster’s governance arrangements, project portfolio and support mechanisms, stakeholder engagement, observed impacts, and approaches to monitoring and evaluation. These interviews provided insights into the perspectives, experiences, and challenges faced by each group within the DIGITAL Cluster ecosystem. Additionally, desk research was undertaken to review relevant publicly available documents, previous evaluations, and reports on Canada’s GIC initiative. The Secretariat is extremely grateful to the stakeholders in Canada for their time and contributions to the development of this case study.
Based in British Columbia, 1500+ organisations involved across the country
Source: ISED (2025[4]).
Background: The Digital Technology Cluster, known as DIGITAL, is one of Canada’s five GICs, launched in 2018 to support technology development and economic growth in strategic sectors. DIGITAL was created to strengthen Canada’s position in digital innovation by accelerating the development, adoption, and scaling of digital technologies, with a focus on healthcare, natural resources, and digital workforce development. As digital technologies become increasingly foundational across all sectors, DIGITAL plays a pivotal role in building the infrastructure, partnerships, and capabilities necessary to position Canada as a leader in the global digital economy.
The Cluster enables consortia of SMEs, large enterprises, research organisations, and public or non-profit partners to co-develop scalable, interoperable solutions to sectoral and societal challenges. DIGITAL funds only collaborative projects that are formed through open or targeted calls for proposals, and which demonstrate meaningful participation from multiple ecosystem actors. Each funded consortium must include at least one industry partner (typically an SME or corporate lead) and one research or public-sector organisation to ensure both technological and applied relevance. DIGITAL does not fund individual firms or purely academic research; rather, it supports projects that combine technological innovation with clear pathways to commercial adoption or public benefit. To facilitate participation, the Cluster provides matchmaking support and guidance to help members identify potential collaborators and shape competitive proposals. These projects often address issues such as responsible data use, AI adoption, or digital infrastructure gaps, and they are selected based on their potential for economic and societal impact.
The DIGITAL Cluster operates through a co-investment model, in which federal funding is matched by private sector contributions at a ratio of approximately 1:1.5. This approach ensures that every public dollar invested is complemented by a greater level of industry commitment, reinforcing both financial leverage and alignment with market needs. Co-investment can take the form of direct cash contributions, in-kind support, or the allocation of personnel and infrastructure to collaborative projects. Public funds are mobilised to support consortium-based R&D, technology validation, and adoption-oriented activities that generate broad ecosystem benefits, rather than private commercial gain.
DIGITAL provides targeted capability-building initiatives to strengthen Canada’s digital workforce and promote inclusive participation in technology adoption. One flagship example is the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator, launched in 2021 in partnership with NPower Canada and industry collaborators. The programme delivers industry-aligned digital skills training, professional certifications, and job placement support to help under-represented groups access high-demand roles in the digital economy. In parallel, DIGITAL promotes responsible innovation practices across its project portfolio, with particular emphasis on Indigenous engagement, data governance, and ethical AI. These principles are integrated into project selection and performance criteria, ensuring that funded initiatives uphold transparency, inclusivity, and public trust as integral components of technological development and deployment.
Unlike clusters with a single sector focus, DIGITAL’s cross-sector scope enables it to operate across multiple industries and technology domains, positioning it as a national platform for digital innovation and adoption. Rather than concentrating on one value chain, DIGITAL works to accelerate the development, deployment, and scaling of digital technologies, such as AI, data analytics, extended reality, and advanced computing, across the Canadian economy. This broad remit allows the Cluster to address system-level challenges, such as interoperability, data-sharing, and workforce readiness, which are critical for enabling digital transformation across sectors. Through this platform approach, DIGITAL supports both technological development (e.g., building new AI solutions) and technology diffusion and adoption (e.g., helping resource firms integrate digital twins or remote sensing systems). DIGITAL also helps Canada participate in the global digital transformation, with several projects involving international partners or contributing to global competitiveness.
Projects: Selected examples of DIGITAL-supported projects illustrate the diversity of applications and partners involved.
Telewound Care Canada: Led by Swift Medical in partnership with SE Health, AlayaCare, and healthcare institutions across Canada, this project developed a remote wound care platform enabling patients, particularly those in rural or isolated communities, to receive high-quality care from home. Using AI-powered imaging tools and a mobile app, patients and clinicians can capture and share clinical-grade images to support real-time monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment planning. The solution addresses a major healthcare challenge, with chronic wounds affecting millions and costing billions annually.
AI-Enabled Enterprise Risk Management for the Agriculture Sector: Led by Agi3 with partners including G3 Canada and the University of Manitoba, this project enhances an AI-driven platform to help farmers and grain companies manage production and climate-related risks. The upgraded tool supports smarter insurance, supply chain coordination, and sustainability practices, helping improve resilience, profitability, and transparency in Canada’s agriculture sector.
Mining Microbiome Analysis Platform (MMAP): Led by Teck Resources in collaboration with partners including Rio Tinto, Genome BC, and the University of British Columbia, MMAP developed the world’s first integrative platform to collect, store, and analyse genomic data from mining environments. By sequencing DNA from over 15,000 environmental samples, the project identified microbial solutions that can replace chemical processes in mineral extraction and site remediation. Supported by DIGITAL and various public and Indigenous partners, MMAP led to the launch of nPhyla, a commercial spin-off offering advanced tools to reduce environmental impact, lower solution development costs, and accelerate responsible mining innovation through secure, data-driven microbial technologies.
Outcomes: Since its establishment in 2018, DIGITAL has contributed to advancing Canada’s digital innovation ecosystem. As of March 2025, the Cluster had grown its member base to more than 1,500 organisations, including start-ups, SMEs, research institutes, and large firms, exceeding its original 2028 target. DIGITAL has supported 189 collaborative projects, catalysing over USD 337 million (CAD 462 million) in industry co-investment and contributing to a total project portfolio valued at USD 573 million (CAD 786 million).
These projects have resulted in the development of over 191 digital products and services and improvements to more than 60 existing ones, with another 100 currently in development and 734 intellectual property (IP) assets. Canadian firms engaged in DIGITAL projects have collectively secured over USD 1.02 billion (CAD 1.4 billion) in follow-on funding, supporting the growth and international positioning of domestic digital innovators.
A key feature of DIGITAL’s approach has been its focus on both technological and social innovation. Several initiatives place emphasis on responsible data governance, privacy-by-design, and inclusive access to digital services. Through its talent development initiatives, including the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator and AI Skills Lab Canada, DIGITAL has already reached over 18,000 participants, exceeding the target of at least 15,000 by 2028. In parallel, its SME scaling efforts have directly supported 69 firms to expand operations and reach new markets, again exceeding the target of 50 by the end of the current funding phase.
Interview feedback emphasised DIGITAL’s strong convening power and its unique ability to mobilise public-private consortia across diverse sectors, such as healthcare, natural resources, and workforce development, where digital innovation is urgently needed but often fragmented. Stakeholders also highlighted the importance of DIGITAL’s role in supporting early market formation, especially through agile funding calls and ecosystem-building activities that de-risk adoption of new digital technologies.
Challenges: DIGITAL faces several structural and operational challenges common to ecosystem initiatives supporting fast-moving technologies. A key hurdle is the difficulty of translating successful pilot projects into long-term procurement contracts or commercial adoption. Through its co-investment model, DIGITAL helps validate promising solutions by funding collaborative demonstration projects that test technologies in real-world settings, de-risk adoption for end users, and generate evidence of performance and scalability. However, as noted by several interviewees, many SMEs struggle to secure follow-on opportunities within large organisations or public institutions due to procurement constraints, risk aversion, or regulatory fragmentation. In parallel, ensuring that digital transformation efforts reach across Canada’s diverse regional and sectoral contexts remains an ongoing challenge. Capacity gaps – particularly among smaller firms and under-resourced regions – can limit participation, slowing both adoption and impact.
DIGITAL also operates in a complex environment where rapid technological advances must be balanced with evolving expectations around data governance, privacy, and intellectual property. Responsible innovation, especially in sectors like health, requires careful management of data-sharing frameworks and trust-building among stakeholders. At the same time, engaging multinational enterprises (MNEs) in local projects presents both an opportunity and a tension: while global firms can provide scale, market access, and expertise, there is a need to ensure that Canadian SMEs, talent, and IP remain central to ecosystem growth. Managing the balance between global integration and domestic capability-building is a key policy and operational challenge for the Cluster going forward.
Addressing these challenges, DIGITAL has increasingly shifted its operating model from short-term pilots toward larger, longer-term, and more strategically structured programmes. Interviewees highlighted a deliberate move toward sector-focused initiatives – particularly in highly regulated areas such as health – where procurement bottlenecks are most acute. By building strong consortiums upfront, adopting risk-sharing and co-investment approaches, and launching larger-scale programmes, DIGITAL seeks to de-risk adoption for both SMEs and end users and improve the likelihood of transition from demonstration to sustained deployment.
As part of Canada’s GIC programme, DIGITAL was established by ISED to advance national priorities in areas such as AI, data governance, cybersecurity, health innovation, and clean growth. While guided by these federal objectives, DIGITAL operates with a high degree of industry leadership and operational autonomy, enabling it to identify and fund projects that are most relevant and impactful within these broad strategic domains. Its strategic priorities are aligned with Canada’s broader innovation and industrial policies, particularly those related to AI, data and cyber security, health innovation, and clean growth, such as Canada’s Digital Ambition, the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS), and the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. DIGITAL's programming targets high-impact applications of digital tools in sectors such as healthcare and climate solutions, where digital transformation can help address system-level challenges and unlock new sources of productivity, resilience, and inclusivity. The Cluster actively promotes responsible innovation by embedding privacy, ethical data use, and inclusion as core principles across its projects and talent programmes.
Building on this national alignment, DIGITAL targets its support toward sectors where Canada has strong industrial foundations and significant potential for digital transformation. Its focus areas reflect national priorities around economic resilience, health innovation, sustainable resource development, and inclusive growth. The Cluster prioritises collaborative projects that accelerate R&D, strengthen Canadian IP, and build cross-sector partnerships. Key areas of activity include:
Health & wellness: Supporting the development and deployment of digital health solutions, including AI-enabled diagnostics, genomics platforms, and technologies that improve patient care and system efficiency.
Natural resources & agriculture: Driving innovation in critical sectors like mining, energy, and agri-food through the application of AI, data platforms, and risk management tools to enhance sustainability and competitiveness.
Industrial transformation & productivity: Enabling digital adoption across industrial sectors to improve productivity, supply chain resilience, and clean growth outcomes.
Service & systems innovation: Promoting digital solutions that improve service delivery, cybersecurity, and data interoperability across public and private sectors.
Talent & connectivity: Addressing the need for a digitally skilled workforce and inclusive access to innovation opportunities, particularly through talent development programmes and equity-focused initiatives.
In line with Canada’s GIC framework, DIGITAL also pursues a mission-driven approach that leverages cross-sector collaboration to scale made-in-Canada technologies. The Cluster supports collaborative R&D and technology adoption projects led by industry consortia, emphasising outcomes such as improved public services, environmental sustainability, and globally competitive SMEs. DIGITAL has also evolved its strategy to focus more heavily on commercialisation and scale-up, including helping Canadian firms transition from proof-of-concept to procurement, and from early-stage piloting to global market access. Through this strategy, DIGITAL aims to foster a thriving, inclusive digital economy anchored in Canadian capabilities and linked to global innovation ecosystems.
Like all of the GICs, DIGITAL is governed through a two-tiered system. At the national level, ISED is responsible for the programme’s overall framework, including funding allocation, performance monitoring, and coordination with other innovation policies and instruments such as the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), which has recently been updated to the Strategic Response Fund (SRF). At the cluster level, DIGITAL is operated as an independent, not-for-profit organisation with an industry-led board of directors that sets strategic direction and oversees investment decisions. This governance model aims to promote neutrality and encourage collaboration among a broad base of stakeholders, including small and large firms, academic institutions, and public sector partners.
DIGITAL’s board brings together leaders from Canada’s digital economy, including the private sector, academia, and healthcare systems, supported by advisory committees and working groups that provide input on project selection, data governance, and ethical innovation. The Cluster's governance structure is designed to ensure responsiveness to evolving technological needs, while maintaining alignment with national priorities in areas such as AI, quantum, and climate-related digital solutions.
Stakeholder consultations with the OECD highlighted that DIGITAL’s governance approach enables agility in funding and programme development, particularly in areas like digital health, while also embedding principles of responsible innovation. This agility stems from its industry-led, not-for-profit structure, which allows programme priorities and funding calls to be adjusted in response to emerging technologies, market needs, and policy developments. DIGITAL engages its members and advisory boards in shaping these priorities, ensuring that new project streams reflect both commercial opportunities and national strategic objectives. Its co-investment model further reinforces responsiveness, as private sector partners play a direct role in identifying viable projects and co-designing solutions that can be rapidly tested and scaled. At the same time, the organisation has made active efforts to include underrepresented groups in its programming and governance, such as Indigenous partners and women-led enterprises.
However, as with other industry-led clusters, there are trade-offs. While the not-for-profit and industry-driven model facilitates focus and flexibility, effective delivery depends on sustained engagement across a diverse membership base. While this model facilitates strategic focus and adaptability, it also requires ongoing effort to bridge capacity gaps among smaller firms and regional actors, ensuring that all participants can contribute to and benefit from the Cluster’s activities. Additionally, university involvement, while encouraged, typically occurs through partnerships within industry-led consortia and not as direct funding recipients, which may limit the depth of academic collaboration in some projects.
Through this cross-sectoral approach, DIGITAL supports scalable innovation aligned with Canada's broader economic, environmental, and social objectives.
DIGITAL, like the other GICs, is funded by ISED through renewable five-year agreements. This funding structure aims to enable accountability and performance-based reviews while allowing for strategic reorientation based on evolving technological and economic priorities. However, some stakeholders have noted that the five-year cycle presents challenges for long-term planning, particularly in digital transformation projects that require extended timelines for deployment, scaling, and adoption.
DIGITAL’s funding model is based on co-investment: public funds are matched by industry contributions to support collaborative innovation and technology adoption projects. As of March 2025, DIGITAL had mobilised over USD 573 million (CAD 786 million) in total project portfolio value, including more than USD 337 million (CAD 462 million) from industry partners. Projects are selected through competitive calls that are evaluated based on criteria such as commercial potential, technological impact, SME participation, alignment with cluster priorities, and capacity for responsible innovation. The selection process is guided by DIGITAL’s internal investment committee, which includes external advisors with sectoral and technological expertise.
The DIGITAL Cluster supports the development and diffusion of digital technologies by building a collaborative ecosystem across Canada’s digital economy. Its ecosystem-building approach combines co-investment in collaborative projects with structured engagement of industry, academia, and the public sector. Key elements include collaborative funding, industrial anchoring, IP management, commercialisation and scale-up support, and digital talent development.
Collaborative funding
DIGITAL operates through a co-investment model that supports industry-led collaborative R&D and technology adoption projects. A central goal of this approach is to foster meaningful partnerships between a diverse set of ecosystem actors, including large firms, SMEs, academic and research institutions, not-for-profit organisations, and public sector bodies. DIGITAL actively facilitates the formation of these consortia by connecting organisations with complementary capabilities and aligning them around common innovation challenges.
Projects are selected not only for their technological ambition, but also for their potential to accelerate digital transformation across sectors and generate wider societal or economic benefits. For example, health-related initiatives, such as the Bridging In-Home Health Care Gaps in Rural Communities, bring together AI developers, hospitals, and genomics researchers to securely share and analyse health data, while resource- and climate-focused projects link agricultural technology firms, grain companies, and researchers to improve risk management tools for farmers. DIGITAL also supports projects that enable broader digital infrastructure, such as secure data-sharing platforms or tools that promote interoperability, which in turn facilitate future collaboration across the ecosystem.
To facilitate ecosystem participation, DIGITAL offers dedicated adoption-focused programmes such as the Digital Learning Lab and the Capacity Building Programme, which are designed to lower barriers for SMEs and non-traditional partners to engage in collaborative projects. The Digital Learning Lab provides practical, hands-on learning opportunities for organisations seeking to understand and apply emerging digital tools – for example, by supporting pilot projects, sharing best practices, and showcasing demonstrator use cases that can be replicated across sectors. The Capacity Building Programme helps smaller firms and public or non-profit organisations develop the internal capabilities needed to participate effectively in DIGITAL-funded consortia, including support for project design, partnership development, and readiness to scale.
The presence of industrial anchors helps attract and scale SMEs by providing them with a trusted platform for experimentation and real-world validation. DIGITAL facilitates this by supporting co-investment projects that de-risk collaboration, structure intellectual property agreements, and align incentives across different types of actors. The participation of anchor firms also strengthens linkages between Canadian SMEs and global value chains, while reinforcing national strategic capabilities in sectors like mining, clean energy, and precision health.
DIGITAL brings together a broad mix of actors, from global technology firms and industrial champions to local SMEs and startups. In sectors like natural resources and health, it has successfully integrated major firms such as Rio Tinto into Canadian digital innovation ecosystems. This creates anchoring points that connect national capabilities to global value chains and support SME scaling.
Unlike sector-specific initiatives, DIGITAL’s cross-sectoral scope enables it to support high-impact digital applications wherever systems-level innovation opportunities arise. This agility allows DIGITAL to catalyse strategic consortia in emerging areas, such as AI-driven genomics, climate-adaptive agriculture, or real-time data-sharing infrastructures, where industry anchors help accelerate adoption and enable SME partners to scale their solutions within larger industrial ecosystems.
As required under GIC programme, DIGITAL has established and submitted to ISED an IP Strategy that defines its role in achieving programme objectives through IP-related activities. This strategy sets out how the Cluster will foster the creation, protection, and commercialisation of IP and data assets while ensuring that the economic value generated through publicly co-funded projects remains in Canada and benefits the domestic innovation ecosystem. In line with this mandate, DIGITAL’s IP framework emphasises Canadian ownership, access, and benefit retention, while allowing flexibility for project partners to determine specific arrangements that support commercialisation and scale-up.
DIGITAL plays a critical role in supporting the creation, protection, and commercialisation of IP and data assets in Canada, particularly those developed through collaborative innovation. It offers dedicated IP advisory services led by specialist IP lawyers and advisors, who provide end-to-end guidance to project partners – especially SMEs – on ownership structures, protection mechanisms, and licensing strategies. These services help participants design IP frameworks that balance collaboration with commercial readiness, ensuring that rights are clearly defined from project inception through to market deployment. DIGITAL also provides practical tools and templates to support data governance and IP management, helping firms align their strategies with both business objectives and Canada’s broader goals for domestic IP retention and value capture.
While each project consortium retains flexibility over its own IP arrangements, DIGITAL provides structured guidance and frameworks to ensure that these arrangements enable both protection and responsible sharing. This includes encouraging fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms for the sharing of foreground IP, ensuring that all participating organisations–large or small–can benefit from the outcomes of collaboration. DIGITAL’s support is especially valuable in multi-stakeholder projects where asymmetries in capacity, legal expertise, or negotiating power can make it difficult for SMEs or academic partners to protect or leverage their contributions.
DIGITAL’s IP advisors and programme teams offer tailored support in several key areas: helping Canadian innovators protect ownership of Canadian-made IP; supporting commercialisation of IP, including from academic institutions; assisting SMEs in leveraging project-generated IP to grow their businesses and strengthen their own IP portfolios; and facilitating equitable benefit-sharing between collaborating partners.
To enable commercial success, DIGITAL helps ecosystem stakeholders navigate the path from pilot to product, offering guidance on business development, access to market channels, IP commercialisation, and regulatory considerations. In cross-sectoral projects, large firms often provide infrastructure, market validation, or procurement opportunities, while smaller firms contribute specialised capabilities and agile development models.
One standout example is the Canadian Platform for AI in Health, initially funded by DIGITAL to develop a secure, AI-powered platform for federated sharing of clinical health data. In its second phase, DIGITAL renewed support for the project to scale internationally. This phase focused on productising core technologies, expanding features like secure query capabilities using large language models, and integrating with external applications. DIGITAL’s support helped translate public R&D investment into a globally competitive health tech platform, demonstrating how the Cluster bridges early-stage innovation and global commercial opportunity.
Similarly, the Subsurface Intelligence to Unlock Critical Minerals Supply (UCM) project builds directly on DIGITAL’s earlier Earth X-Ray for Low-Impact Mining initiative. UCM advances foundational technologies in AI, imaging, and data integration to accelerate the discovery and development of critical minerals. The new project expands and refines digital toolkits to improve geoscientific understanding of subsurface deposits, reduce environmental impact, and support commercial deployment by exploration and mining companies. This sequential investment demonstrates DIGITAL’s role in fostering continuity between foundational research and industrial application.
DIGITAL recognises that scaling digital innovation depends not only on technology development but also on a digitally skilled and inclusive workforce. To this end, the Cluster embeds workforce development within its broader ecosystem-building efforts, combining dedicated talent & connectivity programmes, project-based learning and industry-academic partnerships. These initiatives aim to close skills gaps, enhance career mobility, and ensure that digital transformation is inclusive and sustainable.
As of 2025, over 18,000 individuals have participated in DIGITAL’s talent development programmes. These span upskilling for mid-career professionals, early-career placements, and training co-developed with academic institutions and industry partners. One such initiative is TradeUP, which provides digitally enabled skilled trades training for career advancement in British Columbia’s manufacturing and natural resources sectors. Another project, the Digital Innovation and Leadership Initiative (DIAL), supports the leadership development of emerging and mid-career talent in digital fields, preparing them for executive roles in Canada’s innovation economy.
DIGITAL also places a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion. It funds a broad range of initiatives aimed at expanding access to digital careers and ensuring underrepresented groups benefit from the digital economy. The Advancing Growth in Canada’s Indigenous Digital Workforce project, for example, works to increase participation of Indigenous Peoples in the digital economy by supporting skills development, mentorship, and career pathways in technology sectors. Similar inclusion-focused efforts are embedded in many cluster projects, with targeted support for underrepresented groups.
DIGITAL recognises that scaling digital innovation requires integration into global markets, standards, and value chains. As a result, the Cluster actively supports internationalisation by helping Canadian firms build global partnerships, access international platforms, and showcase their technologies on the world stage. This includes facilitating participation in international trade missions, fostering partnerships with global corporations and research institutions, and supporting projects that address globally relevant challenges such as sustainable mining, health innovation, and climate resilience.
One notable example is DIGITAL’s collaboration with Rio Tinto, a multinational mining company, in projects that aim to advance data-driven innovation in natural resources, such as the Mining Microbiome Analysis Platform (MMAP) project. These initiatives have supported the co-development of digital tools that improve operational efficiency, environmental performance, and predictive maintenance in resource extraction – technologies with global relevance and export potential. By engaging global industry leaders, DIGITAL helps connect Canadian digital solutions to international supply chains and markets.
Drawing on its collaborations with innovation organisations and leaders in the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, the European Union, and Asia, the Cluster has identified two strategic geographic priorities: the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, extending from British Columbia through to Mexico, and the Indo-Pacific region, with a particular focus on ASEAN countries. These priorities reflect DIGITAL’s intention to position Canadian innovations within high-growth markets and to foster long-term cross-border collaboration.
DIGITAL also represents Canada in multilateral forums and international events. These include its participation in the Asia Business Advisory Council for APEC, the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, the Canada-in-Asia Conference in Singapore, and the Canada-Mexico Dialogue.
Canada’s Digital Ambition: A federal strategy that outlines how the Government of Canada will modernise digital service delivery, enhance data governance, and strengthen digital infrastructure. It sets priorities for improving citizen services, enabling secure and interoperable systems, and fostering a digitally skilled public service to support innovation and resilience in the digital age.
Digital Charter Implementation Act: A Canadian federal law introduced to modernise privacy and data protection regulations. It aims to give individuals more control over their personal data, promote responsible data use by businesses, and ensure trust in the digital economy. The Act is a key component of Canada’s Digital Charter, supporting innovation while safeguarding privacy rights.
Global Innovation Clusters (GIC): Launched in 2017 (formerly Innovation Superclusters Initiative), Industry-led sectoral clusters that bring together businesses, researchers, and government to drive innovation in five key areas: Advanced Manufacturing, Digital Technology, Protein Industries, AI (Scale AI), and Oceans.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED): A federal department of the Government of Canada responsible for fostering a growing, competitive, and knowledge-based economy. ISED designs and administers policies and programmes to support innovation, scientific research, business growth, and regional development across Canada. It oversees national initiatives such as the Global Innovation Clusters programme, which includes clusters like Scale AI and DIGITAL.
Pan Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (PCAIS): Canada’s national strategy in AI launched in 2023 focusing on research and innovation by supporting talent development, research, and the application of AI technologies.
Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change: Canada’s first national climate plan, launched in 2016, outlining federal, provincial, and territorial actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, grow the economy, and build resilience to climate impacts. It includes measures across clean technology, carbon pricing, energy efficiency, and sustainable infrastructure.
Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF): Canadian government programme that provides funding to drive large-scale, transformative projects across critical sectors like advanced manufacturing, clean technology, health, and digital industries through support for research and development, business expansion, foreign investment attraction, and collaborative technology projects.
Strategic Response Fund (SRF): Replacing and building on the earlier SIF, the SRF is a new Canadian federal programme, managed by ISED, that provides large-scale investments to help industries innovate, adapt and compete in a changing global economy by strengthening domestic capacity, managing trade and tariff pressures, and supporting transformative projects in strategic sectors.
References
[3] DIGITAL (2025), 2024-25 Annual Report, https://digitalsupercluster.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DIGITAL-EN-Annual-Report-2024-25-vF2.pdf.
[2] DIGITAL (2024), 2023-24 Annual Report, https://digitalsupercluster.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/digital-annual-report-2023-24-web.pdf.
[1] DIGITAL (2023), Ahead of the Curve: Investing in Canada’s Digital Future, https://digitalsupercluster.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Digital-Supercluster-Corporate-Overview-2023-06.pdf.
[4] ISED (2025), Canada’s Digital Technology Cluster, https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/global-innovation-clusters/en/canadas-digital-technology-cluster.
This case study was developed by the OECD as part of the Working Party on Innovation and Technology Policy (TIP) project “Frontier technology development and diffusion”, with financial support from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) under the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Industry.
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