Top R&D Spenders in Canada

Innovation is a hot topic these days in Canada, as we wonder why we’re lagging behind other countries in productivity. Many tech companies tout their products and projects as the answer to Canada’s problem, with several investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into research and development projects.

In this slideshow, we look at a few of the technology companies to Research Infosource Inc.’s list of Canada’s Top 100 Corporate R&D Spenders for fiscal year 2010.

By: Harmeet Singh

Research in Motion Ltd.

It may be surprising that RIM landed in the top spot of the list, since the company has had quite a bit of trouble this year. But, the Waterloo, Ont.-based company is No. 1 for the second consecutive year, spending about $1.4 billion on R&D in fiscal year 2010.

IBM Canada

IBM, which celebrated its centennial in 2011, landed in the No. 3 spot of R&D spenders. The Canadian subsidiary spent about $551 million in FY2010 on R&D activities. The company has software development lab sites in Markham, Ont., London, Ont. Ottawa, Montreal, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria—collectively known as the IBM Canada Lab.

Ericsson Canada Inc.

The Canadian subsidiary of Stockholm-based mobility giant Ericsson landed at No. 7 for FY2010, up three spots from the previous year. The company invested $353 million in R&D during 2010.

AMD Canada

Chip-maker AMD’s Canadian business made the No. 8 spot on the list, spending about $241 million. This year, the company launched updates to its Fusion product line and gained a new CEO globally.

Alcatel-Lucent

Telecom company Alcatel-Lucent’s Canadian operations spent about $233 million on R&D. This year, the company worked on fleshing out its data centre fabric line and saw growth in its IP networking business.

OpenText Corp.

OpenText Corp., makers of enterprise content management software, spent about $133 million on R&D, landing it at No. 14 on the list. The company began in the early 1990s as a spin-off from a project at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. OpenText has also been named one of the top employers for young people.

Sierra Wireless Inc.

Richmond, B.C.-based Sierra Wireless took the No. 24 spot on the list of R&D spenders, after the company shelled out $93 million in 2010. The company offers hardware, software and services for mobile communications. In 2008, it acquired French M2M (machine-to-machine) wireless vendor Wavecom for US$275 million.

Mitel Networks Corp.

Ottawa-based Mitel Networks landed the No. 39 spot this year, spending $53 million on R&D in 2010. Last year also saw the departure of CEO Don Smith, who after nine years in the role, moved on to sit on the board of directors. Mitel also went public in 2010, just months before Smith stepped down.

Read more: Mitel Networks CEO to leave post

Smart Technologies Inc.

Calgary-based Smart Technologies Inc., which created the first interactive whiteboard, spent $35 million on R&D, earning it the No. 53 spot on the list. The company’s interactive whiteboards are used by more than 1.6 million kindergarten to grade 12 classrooms worldwide, by more than 40 million students.

Sandvine Corp.

Waterloo, Ont.-based Sandvine took the No. 60 spot on the list. The company, which makes network equipment and software, dedicated $27 million to R&D in 2010. Sandvine offers business intelligence and operations management solutions, among others, and has more than 350 employees along with its channel partner community.

Xerox Canada

Xerox Canada spent $26 million on R&D in 2010, earning it the No. 61 ranking. This year, the company teamed up with networking giant Cisco Systems Inc. for a mobile printing solution. The company also hosts its Xerox Research Centre of Canada in Mississauga, Ont. for its imaging and consumable materials research.