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Answer a few quick questions about your business and we'll direct you to incentives, programs, and services you may be eligible for.
We know a thing or two about making waves. Here on Canada’s beautiful east coast, a diversity of growing businesses leverage our highly-skilled workforce and location that’s perfectly positioned for global connections. Ready to make some waves of your own? There’s no better place to do it than Nova Scotia.
Answer a few quick questions about your business and we’ll direct you to incentives, programs, and services you may be eligible for.
If you are an international entrepreneur and would like to invest and immigrate to Nova Scotia, please visit the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (NSNP) and the Atlantic Immigration Program for more information.
Nova Scotia’s strategic East Coast location offers unparalleled access to global markets. With a unique time zone for U.S. and European collaboration, proximity to major global cities, and seamless transportation infrastructure, businesses benefit from faster connections and efficient movement of goods and people.
Answer a few quick questions about your business and we’ll direct you to contacts at Invest Nova Scotia, incentives, programs, and services you may be eligible for.
Salaries in Nova Scotia are lower than in other Canadian provinces and U.S. states, while downtown Halifax’s class-A office space averages just $35.71/sq. ft, significantly below North American city rates. Additionally, businesses in Nova Scotia enjoy over 50% cost savings compared to top U.S. tech centres for operating software development centres, ensuring exceptional value.
Average Office Space Cost (SQFT/Year)
Source: fDi Benchmark, a service from the Financial Times Ltd, 2020
Average Operating Costs
Source: fDi Benchmark, a service from the Financial Times Ltd. 2020
Your dollar simply goes further here. Canada is a peaceful and stable democracy—making the Canadian dollar a desired international currency, and the country an attractive place for foreign investment.
Nova Scotia’s workforce is skilled, educated, diverse, and rapidly growing. Thanks to new immigration initiatives, people from over 100 cultures and ethnic backgrounds call Nova Scotia home. This influx of human capital maximizes employer access to talent, and provides a reliable, diverse, and loyal workforce for businesses hoping to establish or grow in North America. You should probably call us more of a talent ocean than a talent pool.
Home to over one hundred cultures and ethnicities from around the globe
Home to one of North America’s largest concentrations of universities, the province boasts highly-educated talent. With an unparalleled ratio of educational facilities to population, the province produces exceptionally-skilled talent—from new graduates to returning alumni and expats—supporting creative and knowledge-based industries with dedication and expertise.
Percentage of Population Age 25-34 with Post-Secondary Education
Source: Statistics Canada, 2016
One of the reasons Nova Scotia is the perfect place to grow a business is that it’s the perfect place to live a life. Coastal charm, active lifestyles, urban energy, and stunning natural beauty add up to a vibrant and especially loyal workforce. People want to live their best life here. No wonder Halifax is ranked one of the top ten mid-sized cities for the best human capital and lifestyle.
Nova Scotia offers a wide range of communities and landscapes to call home, from the agricultural heartland of the Annapolis Valley to the scenic coastal villages of the south shore, to the dramatic highlands of Cape Breton, to the urban energy of Halifax. But wherever you land, you’ll enjoy the allure of the ocean and unparalleled affordability.
Nova Scotia combines natural strengths with strategic opportunities—here, education, industry, and quality of life work together to offer unique advantages for growing businesses. Our stunning coastal location supports thriving industries like ocean technology, cleantech, and renewable energy. The province’s significant research and innovation spending fuels advancements across all sectors. And our strong military infrastructure, including the largest Canadian Forces base on the East Coast, creates unique opportunities in defence and aerospace. With access to skilled talent, competitive costs, and robust support systems, Nova Scotia provides the ideal environment for business growth and innovation.
The world’s highest tides, North America’s closest port to Europe, and one of the world’s best agricultural regions.
Nova Scotia’s natural advantages create opportunities for businesses to grow and thrive. Positioned to support domestic and international markets, the province’s ports are the closest in Canada to Western Europe, reducing shipping costs and time. Located less than a day off the “great circle route,” Nova Scotia is ideal for exporting green energy and goods globally.
Nova Scotia boasts ten Universities and Colleges over 58,000 post-secondary students, and over $500 million in annual research spending.
With 81 research chairs, a highly skilled R&D workforce, and competitive costs for R&D-intensive industries, Nova Scotia’s dynamic centres of research are driving business innovation and growth. In 2023, Dalhousie University received $154 million to study the ocean’s role in climate change, enhancing the province’s expertise, particularly in ocean-related fields.
Nova Scotia is home to highest concentration of Canada’s military assets.
Military investment in Nova Scotia fosters business growth, with many of Canada’s top defence companies based here. The province is home to the Canadian Navy’s largest formation and Canada’s first commercial spaceport. Key defence contracts, including the building of 15 Canadian Surface Combatant ships by Irving Shipbuilding, further bolstering the province’s economic might.
Every day, except Christmas Day, since 1857, at precisely 12:00 pm, the Royal Artillery fires a cannon from the Halifax Citadel, the 19th-century Brtish-built fort that overlooks the port city.
Nova Scotia is a prime location for high-growth industries, including technology, ocean technology, life sciences, financial services, aerospace and defence, and advanced manufacturing. With a skilled workforce, world-class research institutions, and strategic market access, the province provides a dynamic environment for businesses seeking innovation, collaboration, and global growth opportunities.
Need boots on the ground to help you source the perfect business location or expansion site? Our expertise and programs will make it easy.
The site certification program gives you access to development-ready sites with a commitment to fast turnaround. Lean on the program for custom site packages and tours so you can identify a site that aligns with your development needs. lt even connects you with the services and decision-makers you need to move your project forward efficiently.
We manage more than 14,500 acres of industrial real estate in Nova Scotia to accommodate future commercial/industrial development. These parcels include multi-purpose marine facilities and greenfield marine industrial development sites, as well as readily-available industrial zoned building lots.
