TECHNATION welcomes the Government of Canada’s 2026 federal budget and its focus on strengthening Canada’s economy and improve competitiveness through private investment, international partnerships and fiscal discipline.
We are encouraged by the proposed investments, in line with the recommendations in our pre-budget submission, including investments to advance the digitization of government, the focus on streamlining procurement processes and support for the adoption and security of artificial intelligence for all Canadians.
Innovation costs money and will require the Government of Canada to invest in technologies including AI. We recognize the significant financial commitments that will underscore Digital Transformation Canada’s ability to deliver on innovation. Continued support for technology adoption and digital modernization can strengthen Canada’s economic capacity and create opportunities for Canadians in every region of the country. History has shown that investments have not always produced the intended outcomes, therefore Canada’s technology companies and TECHNATION stand ready to support the government on assessing, de-risking and integrating these technologies. Realizing the full value of these investments will require cultural shift to outcomes over process compliance, and well as policies and processes that encourage private-sector innovation. This, and procurement processes that are transparent, competitive, and capable of rapidly adopting proven technology solutions can produce best in class services for Canadians, enabled by technology.
Technology is embedded into virtually every government and business service in Canada and underpins our productivity and economic potential, and Canada’s tech companies employ roughly 3.9% of the national workforce. We encourage government at all levels to view technology as a force multiplier for investments in every region of the country.
Government is also a major driver of economic productivity through what it buys. Canada’s federal government should deepen engagement with the ICT sector to explore emerging skill pathways, leverage technology across all programs to deliver better services and outcomes for Canadians, be a model buyer and user of technology including responsible and safe adoption of AI, and improve how it buys goods and services.
This budget provides a strong signal that the federal government recognizes that sovereignty is built by growing economic strength at home and diverse partnerships abroad. TECHNATION urges federal leaders to continue prioritizing policies that benefit companies of all sizes doing business in Canada, encourage global investment, and strengthen Canada’s position as a competitive destination for innovation and technology-driven growth.