BC can become a global digital technology supercluster: REPORT

A new report has examined British Columbia’s technology sector with a view to the province becoming a global digital technology supercluster.

British Columbia’s Digital Technology Supercluster, highlights how far the industry has come, as well as its attributes and strengths.

It was prepared by Deloitte, with the BC Tech Association, the Research Universities’ Council of BC, Wavefront and Chief Advisor of the Innovation Network, Dr. Santa Ono.

“The future holds great promise for Canada providing we make the kinds of investments that will pay large dividends,” said Ono in a release.

“BC is well-positioned to lead Canada’s next chapter of economic growth and global competitiveness,” added Bill Tam, CEO, BC Tech Association.

“The unique combination of BC’s digital technology strengths and leadership in the areas of natural resources, healthcare, transportation, infrastructure and creative entertainment offers the potential for a supercluster that can transform traditional industries and lead the world.”

The BC tech sector generates $26 billion in revenue per year, making it one of the fastest growing technology sectors in Canada, according to the report.

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It also has a significant geographical advantage as the Canadian gateway to Asia and the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, which is a collaboration between BC and Washington state.

Global companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Cisco, Disney, GE, Sony, and Electronic Arts are just a few tech industry leaders attracted to BC, says the report.

In fact, the report found, three out of the five Canadian “unicorns” (a term used for tech companies worth more than $1 billion) call Britsh Columbia their home.

All of these factors make BC the prime location to create a global supercluster to give Canada a competitive advantage in the technology industry, the report finds.

“BC’s digital technology supercluster combines complementary strengths in sectors in which we uniquely excel,” said Dr. Ono.

“With strategic investments and working with civil society, universities, governments at all levels and industry, this cluster will propel BC and Canada’s competitive advantages to rival the world’s top global innovation ecosystems.”