OTTAWA - With the prospect of public service cuts looming over the capital, an Ottawa economic development agency is making a pitch for federal help to grow out the local defence industry and turn it into an "innovation hub."

Invest Ottawa, a not-for-profit local economic development group, is asking the federal government to grant the National Capital Region a “formal designation” as a "national defence innovation hub" and to “fully leverage and invest” in building up the local defence industry.

In a document submitted to a parliamentary committee studying budgetary requests ahead of the Nov. 4 budget, Invest Ottawa says it's looking to create new "high-value jobs" in the Ottawa and Gatineau region and help develop new defence products for export.

A separate submission to the Departmen

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