Russian device start-up Yota Devices is apparently looking to move its headquarters to Canada, with the potential talent pool of now unemployed former BlackBerry engineers being part of the draw.

According to Financial Post, Vlad Martynov, CEO of the company, also noted more pragmatic considerations such as lower costs, tax benefits and government support.

Yota already has a hardware development arm in Oulu, Finland, where it has taken on staff who previously parted company with Nokia.

According to Financial Post, Martynov was born in Russia but emigrated to Canada, with more than 10 per cent of Yota’s 150 staff having held positions with BlackBerry.

Yota Devices unveiled the second-generation of its YotaPhone at Mobile World Congress earlier this year. As with the previous incarnation, the headline feature is the inclusion of an always-on electronic paper display on the rear.

While this has yet to reach the market, the company is ramping-up its distribution channels for the first-generation device.