Apple may not spend the same percentage of its revenue on research and development as rivals like Google, Facebook and Qualcomm, but that’s not stopping it from opening new offices dedicated to R&D projects.

The latest of these is based in Canada, with Apple apparently leasing space at a Kanata office complex as a way of establishing a presence in Ottawa. And for those hoping for an Apple Car, that location may turn out to be a significant one.

The 22,100-square-foot facility is based at 411 Legget Drive in the Kanata Research Park, although Apple has yet to confirm the news.

According to the company leasing the space to Apple, the property features a, “full-floor office suite with executive boardroom, meeting rooms, several offices, server room, lunchroom, showers, private balconies and lab space.”

Ottawa is a Canadian hotspot for software development. Interestingly, the space is specifically tailored to people working in automotive software — potentially tying into the rumors that Apple is working on an electric vehicle project. Kanata is also the home of BlackBerry’s car division, QNX Software Systems, which recently unveiled new software for the driverless car market.

Source: Ottawa Business Journal