The Winter edition of The Kanata Networker is out and available in newsstands around the tech park. Grab your copy and find out more about how the City of Ottawa will consider a ‘special economic zone’ designation for Kanata North.

On the cover: Kanata North semiconductor company, GaN Systems has designed a power transistor that is smaller, faster and more energy efficient. The company is developing technology that will open new possibilities for electric vehicles, automated drones and even submarines with wireless charging. We talk to Peter Di Maso, director of product line management at GaN Systems about the new wireless opportunities the company is working on. Find out more in the article Cutting the (power) cord.

Read how Kanata North’s unique workplace culture are gaining an edge in the war for talent. Learn which companies in Canada’s Largest Tech Park took home a Best Ottawa Business Award last Fall, and who came out for Startup Open House.

In our ‘where we live’ series find out what draws tech workers to Kanata’s residential communities, providing tech workers with short commute times, plenty of green space and abundant family-friendly amenities. See “Calling Kanata North home” on page 14 and 15.

In our ‘Out of Office’ series, read how the founders of Crank Software, Brian Edmond, Thomas Fletcher and Jason Clarke built a rapport while standing in a swamp together at four in the morning.

The trio met while working at QNX and quickly bonded over their shared love of mountain biking. What started as a fun weekend activity quickly turned into a series of adventure race excursions, and an opportunity to show how well they worked together.

The group has incorporated biking into their careers, participating in a range of races and even naming their user interface software company – which launched in 2007 – after a crankset on a bicycle. Read more about them on page 19 in the Kanata Networker.

For more articles on our local business community visit www.kanatanetworker.com.

To view a digital copy of the Winter edition, visit The Kanata Networker.