Global cybersecurity company Fortinet has opened a new innovation hub in downtown Calgary, marking a major expansion of its Canadian footprint.
Representing a $30 million investment, the eight-storey, 122,000-square-foot facility will support cybersecurity research, cloud infrastructure, customer engagement and workforce training. Fortinet acquired the building in September 2024.
The company selected Calgary with support from the Government of Alberta, Invest Alberta and Calgary Economic Development, citing growing demand for expertise in protecting critical infrastructure and operational technology.
“Having a dedicated, company-owned space in Alberta will enable closer collaboration with customers and partners across the province, providing a modern environment designed for innovation and future growth,” said Robert May, Executive Vice President of Technology and Product Management at Fortinet.
May said the hub’s new Customer Experience Centre will give organizations hands-on access to Fortinet technology and expertise.
The facility includes a new Fortinet cloud point of presence, or PoP, which will expand the company’s global cloud infrastructure. Powered by Fortinet appliances and proprietary ASIC technology, the PoP is designed to deliver the company’s services, software-as-a-service products and secure access service edge capabilities with improved performance and energy efficiency.
The local infrastructure will also help Fortinet address Canadian customers’ data sovereignty and regulatory requirements.
A dedicated cybersecurity community hub and laboratory will allow Fortinet to demonstrate and validate security products designed to protect critical infrastructure from evolving cyber threats. Partners will have access to meeting facilities and flexible workspace for customer engagement and business development.
The building also includes a Customer Experience Centre where customers, partners and industry leaders can work with Fortinet experts and explore strategies for improving security and organizational resilience.
A training facility will provide hands-on cybersecurity education as Fortinet works to address the industry’s persistent skills gap and support the development of Calgary’s technology workforce.
Fortinet is also establishing an annual award with the University of Calgary for students studying computer science, data science, computer engineering or software engineering. The company will fund a $3,000 scholarship, awarded based on academic merit, annually for five years.
Fortinet has operated in Canada for 26 years. The Calgary hub joins its established Canadian campuses in Burnaby and Ottawa while expanding the company’s presence and workforce in Alberta.
“Fortinet’s decision to invest in Calgary reflects what more global companies are discovering: this is a place where you can find the talent, partnerships and momentum to build what’s next,” said Calgary Economic Development President and CEO Brad Parry.
“By bringing critical cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure to Calgary, Fortinet is helping create the conditions that allow ambitious companies to grow, scale and have global impact from the Blue Sky City.”
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