British Columbia is fostering a culture of scientific research and education, especially in the field of life sciences. It’s an environment which supports innovation and provides a depth of knowledge that leads to success.   Investors know the value of good research. Prior to making an investment, it is important to gather intelligence about companies, products, market demand and more to estimate the potential return on the investment. British Columbia’s life sciences sector benefits from state-of-the-art research institutions and numerous research centres which produce a strong labour pool, robust innovations ... continue reading

The world market is increasingly interested in clean, renewable and environmental transportation solutions, and British Columbia is working to meet global demands. Through the CleanBC climate action plan, Canada’s Western-most province is spurring innovation, stimulating economic growth and creating new investment opportunities. This is especially true for investors looking to hold environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) investments.   One sector where ESG opportunities are burgeoning in B.C. is green transportation. British Columbia has an abundance of affordable power, with over 98% of its electricity ... continue reading

British Columbia offers a unique blend of lifestyle advantages. The temperate climate, cosmopolitan cities, clean environment and a breadth of outdoor experiences provide a quality of life that draws people from around the world. Businesses say this is a key competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining top talent.   Investment decisions are often based on numbers related to taxes, incentives or other hard figures that help to translate into the highest return on investment for a business location. While British Columbia excels in those hard data categories, the numbers only tell part of the story of B.C.’s recru... continue reading

British Columbia may seem like a well-kept secret, but savvy investors are enjoying its many business advantages.   Why foreign investors choose B.C. is no mystery. International businesses face significant pressures when selecting a location for oversees operations. In an era of global uncertainty, rising trade tensions and forecasts for economic volatility, B.C. offers a stable, and world-class business environment.   B.C. has a reputation for its business friendly environment, with one of the world’s most open trading economies, a welcoming and supportive government, dependable legal system, competitive bus... continue reading

Quantum computing holds a very bright future because of its ability to solve complex problems that are currently beyond the capabilities of a traditional computer.   To harness B.C.’s growing global reputation as a leader in quantum computing, a new Quantum Algorithms Institute is being established at Simon Fraser University’s (SFU) Surrey campus. The institute is part of the B.C. government’s vision to promote the City of Surrey as a second Lower Mainland downtown and to build an innovation corridor that will drive economic growth and create good jobs and opportunity for people in Surrey and the Fraser ... continue reading

There are several thousand companies around the world in the virtual reality/augmented reality (VR/AR) space. Vancouver, British Columbia, is considered one of the top five VR/AR hubs in the world.   What has contributed to Vancouver’s prominence? While various factors come into play, talent and expertise provide the foundation: Vancouver’s VR/AR talent pool runs deep. With a long, firmly established history in film and gaming, Vancouver has benefited from the spin-off of this expertise into VR/AR, where the technologies used in creating visual effects and animation are complementary to creating immersive exper... continue reading

British Columbia has always been at the forefront of green innovation. Home to some of the top clean tech companies in the world, our province exports a significant volume of products and technologies globally to countries like the United States, Europe and Asia. British Columbia is also a leader in clean energy, with 98% of our electricity coming from renewable resources. With climate change being a crucial global concern of our time, the Province is embracing a cleaner future with a B.C.-specific approach. In December 2018, the Government of British Columbia announced CleanBC, a plan to reduce climate pollution and create low-c... continue reading

In June 2019, Premier John Horgan embarked on a nine-day visit to Europe. The objectives of this visit were to commemorate D-Day, as well as to expand economic ties and to promote British Columbia’s strengths in clean energy. The Premier’s first stop was to Juno Beach in France to observe D-Day ceremonies alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It was the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, and the ceremonies served to remember the British Columbians and Canadian soldiers who fought and sacrificed for our freedoms. Victory came with great sacrifice – 359 Canadian soldiers were killed on D-Day... continue reading

British Columbia’s fresh and diverse seafood products took centre stage at the B.C. Seafood Expo in Comox Valley on Vancouver Island earlier this month. The B.C. Seafood Expo ran from June 12-13, 2019, in conjunction with the B.C. Seafood Festival, an annual event that has now become the largest seafood festival in Western Canada.  The expo brings together seafood buyers, aquaculture experts, industry leaders and government representatives to showcase the diverse offerings of B.C’s seafood industry. The two-day expo featured several local trade show exhibitors, guest speakers from the industry and provided a ve... continue reading

British Columbia has a progressive and thriving information and communications technology (ICT) ecosystem, made up of more than 5,300 companies and over 62,700 jobs that focus on software, information technology, Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, telecommunications and electronics manufacturing. Working with world-class research facilities and top-ranked universities, B.C. companies are at the forefront of developing innovative solutions and game-changing platforms. With multiple technology clusters in cities like Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna, the province is an attractive destination for major global compa... continue reading