Real sovereignty means building enough capability at home that Canada can choose who it works with, on its own terms.

On Sept. 29, thousands of attendees, including companies, government and industry decision-makers came together at GCXpo, Canada’s only live-action technology showcase, to see next-generation  defence, dual-use and agtech innovation demonstrated in real-world conditions.

The event is hosted annually at Area X.O Greenbelt, Invest Ottawa’s four-season R&D complex that helps companies accelerate time-to-market and the safe commercial adoption of next-gen technology. The site is also a NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) test centre.

With a focus around advancing Canada’s sovereignty and creating pathways to procurement, GCXpo 2026 brought together more than 100 Canadian company demonstrators. To open the event, Minister of National Defence David McGuinty put the test plainly: “Who can design it here, who can build it here, who can sustain it here.”

Sovereignty means having the capability to build, own, test, validate and procure critical technologies at home, while collaborating with trusted allies and multinational partners.

Global companies in action at GCXpo

Among the crowd were 12 international companies from markets including the UK, South Korea, Germany, China and Poland. Some have established or expanded a presence in Ottawa, and GCXpo gave all of them a chance to meet the innovation community and decisionmakers here.

Three of these international companies also brought their technology to the demonstration floor, showing what it can do in front of Canadian and allied audiences.

K-WaterCraft

K-WaterCraft demonstrated its WaterStation live at GCXpo, a compact unit that combines electrolysis, fuel cell power and heat and oxygen recovery. Its CEO, Charles Kwon, spoke at the VIP session. In a LinkedIn post, the company called the event “the first step in our entry into the Canadian market.” The unit has a CES 2023 Innovation Award for clean, off-grid energy. It operates here as KWC Canada and is looking for utilities, developers and research institutions to work with.

iQ-LOOP

The UK-founded deep-tech venture has developed a circular aluminum energy platform that stores renewable energy and releases it on demand as heat, power or hydrogen at the point of use, a safe, transportable alternative to conventional energy storage. After a June market-entry mission to Ottawa, its CEO, Daniel Henbest, spoke at the VIP session. The company is establishing its North American headquarters here with Invest Ottawa’s support and planned to bring its full executive and leadership team to a dedicated stand. Its pre-GCXpo announcement framed the event as a stage for defence, dual-use and agri-tech, and urged partners, collaborators and government stakeholders to see the technology in person.

Quantum Systems

An international defence technology company, Quantum Systems was represented at the VIP session by Rod Paras, Country Manager, Canada, and ran a live demonstration of its Vector and Twister eVTOL drones. Under its open MOSAIC software platform, a single pilot orchestrated several uncrewed assets at once, with the systems sharing real-time intelligence to split up tasks in contested environments. Its demonstration shows the capability Canada needs to own, and must build, test and sustain with allies. That is McGuinty’s question in practice.

Built in Canada, backed by Dell

U.S.-based technology company Dell, brought in one of the largest showcases on site. It featured Dell Private 5G, the Deployable Secure Modular Datacenter (a 19,000 lb mobile unit) and the TuffTek solution, with the power and connectivity needed to run them live. Booth signage and printed and digital materials explained what each system can do and where it can be used.

The demonstrations sit within Dell’s “Built in Canada, Backed by Dell” commitment to supporting local SMBs, strengthening Canadian innovation and driving economic growth through technology adoption, skills development and new opportunities.

Why global companies choose Ottawa

Throughout the discussions taking place throughout the day, five key strengths of the Ottawa region emerged as themes:

• Talent – Ottawa has had the highest concentration of tech talent in North America for six consecutive years, with nearly 100,000 technology workers across more than 1,800 technology companies.
• R&D depth – Deep capabilities in AI, cyber, autonomy, robotics, drones and semiconductors.
• Infrastructure – Area X.O, home to the NATO DIANA Test Centre, lets companies test, validate and prove their technology in Ottawa itself.
• Proximity – Direct access to government, regulators, the Canadian Armed Forces and end users.
• Ecosystem – More than 330 defence, aerospace and security companies work alongside federal laboratories, universities and national partners.

GCXpo puts these strengths on display. Companies are drawn to Ottawa’s skilled talent, resources, partners, and research and development capabilities, and Area X.O works directly with end users, so a company can prove its technology before it reaches a buyer.

Partners coming together to power the capability

None of this happens alone. Each showcase depends on a network of sponsors, partners and government supporters.

GCXpo 2026 was made possible by a mix of multinational and Canadian sponsors and partners, including Accenture, BDC, Calian, Dell, PwC, Rogers, TÜV SÜD and WSP. Government partners include FedDev Ontario, OVIN, the City of Ottawa and the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC).

Calian, a sponsor for GCXpo, launched the Northstar Defence Lab with Invest Ottawa during the event, adding a new partnership point at Area X.O for defence technology companies to test and validate their work.

The VIP session, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), in the BDC Partner Lounge also brought these companies together with government and funding partners, with the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade (MEDJCT) and FedDev Ontario sharing information on funding opportunities for international companies.

This mix of companies, government and institutions is what makes Ottawa-Gatineau a national defence innovation hub, and through the discussions, the demonstrations, and the networking opportunities, GCXpo demonstrates that Ottawa’s innovation economy is global by design.

Global companies are not simply coming to Ottawa, they are investing, collaborating and building here.

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Learn more about why global companies are choosing Ottawa: Why Ottawa | Canada’s Innovation Capital for Global Tech and R&D