Ottawa, Canada – September 29, 2025 – Invest Ottawa proudly congratulates SEA Canada, part of the SEA Group and Cohort plc, on the opening of its new 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Ottawa.

The Ottawa site, officially opened at today’s event by Glenn Gower, City Councillor for Stittsville, and British High Commissioner to Canada Robert Tinline, marks a significant milestone for SEA Canada and underscores Ottawa’s growing role as a hub for advanced defence innovation and manufacturing.

The cutting-edge facility will be a centre of excellence for SEA Canada’s launcher solutions, including the company’s proven torpedo launcher system (TLS) and the Ancilia trainable decoy launcher. Strategically located in the nation’s capital, it will strengthen Ottawa’s defence industrial base, create high-value jobs, and expand opportunities for Canadian SMEs in the sector.

“SEA’s expansion into Ottawa is a visionary investment by a global defence leader that reinforces Canada’s Capital Region as a trusted national hub for defence innovation. This new advanced facility brings world-class expertise and technological capability to our ecosystem, creating high-value jobs, strengthening supply chains, and advancing critical national security priorities. We are honoured to welcome and support SEA Canada as they grow in our region. Sincere thanks to this outstanding team for investing and building in Ottawa.” — Sonya Shorey, President and CEO, Invest Ottawa.”

Keith Cunnane, General Manager at SEA Canada, said the following in the company’s release:

“The opening of this facility marks a major milestone for both SEA Canada and defence manufacturing in the nation’s capital. We’re proud to contribute to regional economic growth and job creation, while also supporting Ottawa’s reputation as a centre for innovation and advanced manufacturing.

“By increasing our capacity to deliver cutting-edge launcher systems with reduced lead times, this site will further cement our position as a trusted global supplier of innovative and flexible countermeasure capabilities.”

A New Addition to Ottawa’s Defence Ecosystem – a National Defence Innovation Hub 

SEA Canada’s decision to expand into Ottawa reflects the city’s growing reputation as a trusted centre for defence, security, and advanced manufacturing.

With proximity to the Department of National Defence, 65 federal research labs, and more than 330 defence and cybersecurity firms, Ottawa offers a unique advantage for firms scaling Canadian operations.

This new facility will:

• Expand SEA Canada’s local capacity for engineering, integration, testing, and sustainment.
• Support national naval priorities, including the Canadian Surface Combatant program and Victoria-class submarine sonar sustainment.
• Strengthen SME supply chains by engaging local suppliers and partners.
• Create high-value jobs while delivering trusted systems to the Canadian Armed Forces and allied navies.

Ottawa: A Global Hub for Innovation

Ottawa is home to:

• 

  Canada’s largest tech park, with more than 1,800 technology firms and 94,000+ tech workers, and the highest concentration of tech talent in North America at 12.3 percent of the total workforce, on par with Silicon Valley;

• ONE9, Canada’s only dedicated defence venture capital and innovation platform;
• The headquarters of DND, DRDC, RCMP, CSIS, and CSE, alongside 130 embassies and four NATO DIANA test centres — including Area X.O, Canada’s ITB-certified R&D complex for emerging technologies; and,
• The country’s most educated workforce, with 65 percent holding post-secondary degrees, and eight post-secondary institutions in the National Capital Region producing more than 168,000 students annually, including 28,000 in STEM fields.

Ottawa companies and researchers are advancing the technologies that will define the future of defence, our economy, and our world — from AI, machine learning, and quantum technologies to cyber, drones and uncrewed systems, advanced robotics, semiconductors, and autonomous and connected systems.

The addition of SEA Canada strengthens the region’s reputation as a global hub for advanced defence technology, one that supports Canada’s sovereignty and builds export potential worldwide.

Read more on the SEA Canada website here.

About SEA Canada

SEA Canada delivers and supports advanced solutions that maximize defence mission capability. The company provides assembly, testing, integration, and comprehensive support for Canadian and allied naval customers, with a determination to maximize Canadian content and impact. SEA Canada is part of SEA Group, which has more than 60 years’ experience supporting navies worldwide, and Cohort plc, an independent technology company with global defence and security operations. Learn more: www.canadasea.ca.

About Invest Ottawa

Invest Ottawa is the lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries in Canada’s Capital Region, facilitating economic growth and job creation in Ottawa. Guided by a vision to help realize Ottawa’s full potential as a globally recognized, innovative, inclusive, and future-ready city, Invest Ottawa delivers venture development, global expansion and talent programs and services that catalyze the growth and success of entrepreneurs and firms.

These include small business training, mentorship, acceleration for technology firms, foreign business and investment attraction, local business retention and expansion in targeted sectors, commercialization and promotion of Ottawa’s diversified economy and high quality of life. Invest Ottawa is also the manager of Bayview Yards, Ottawa’s innovation hub and one-stop business acceleration shop, and founder and operator of Area X.O, the R&D complex for next-gen smart mobility, autonomy, and connectivity technologies. Since 2017, Invest Ottawa has supported and delivered $3.7 billion in GDP impact, 29,343 jobs, and $622 million in government revenues.

Media Contact:
Lindsey Fair – Vice President, Marketing and Bayview Impact
Invest Ottawa, Area X.O and Bayview Yards
613.857.7779
[email protected]