Trade and Invest BC - Blog - Trade and Investment

Trade and Investment British Columbia Blog

Welcome to Trade and Invest British Columbia’s blog, where we get up-close and personal with the people, events, organizations and opportunities that are shaping British Columbia's vibrant and diverse economy.

Read on to discover how you can build your business by investing in British Columbia and trading with our companies.

B.C. Forestry: Strong and Sustainable

April 11, 2018

Forestry is an important sector in British Columbia. It accounted for 32% ($14.2 billion) of B.C.’s total exports for 2017, and is the primary employer in many parts of the province. Forestry-related activities directly support over 7,000 businesses and employ nearly 60,000 people. With so many of our citizens relying either directly or indirectly on the sector, there’s a collective understanding that we need to ensure the future of the forestry industry. It’s what has pushed us to become globally recognized for sustainable forest management practices and educational programs.TimberWest recently received the Can... continue reading

Posted by Abby Pollen

Educational Opportunities for New Exporters

April 5, 2018

Trade and Invest BC and the Consulate General of Canada in Seattle recently hosted an educational mission for B.C. agrifood and seafood companies. The annual event is part of the federal New Exporter to Border States initiative and was developed in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Growing Forward 2 (GF2). The opportunity bridges the learnings shared through domestic and international programs for export-ready companies. The Seattle New Exporters mission is designed for small and medium-sized B.C. companies with little to no previous international trade experience, and includes an introduction to exporting and pr... continue reading

Posted by Abby Pollen

B.C. Drives Transportation Innovation

March 1, 2018

British Columbia is a key transportation hub with ports providing the shortest sea route between the Asia-Pacific region and North America. The province has an efficient, reliable network of marine ports, airports, rail lines and highways connecting products to markets. B.C. is a leader in transportation innovation with local entrepreneurs and organizations implementing proven tactics to improve transportation. Vancouver currently does not have ride-hailing services like Lyft or Uber, but it is the car-sharing capital of North America according to the results of a survey published by B.C. Credit Union Vancity. Wit... continue reading

Posted by Abby Pollen

Smart Cities in British Columbia

February 19, 2018

What makes a city “smart”? Smart cities have a variety of ways to collect data about the city, including traffic patterns, use of public spaces and attributes that make life easier for the people who live or visit that city. They can then use that information to continuously improve. For example, city planners can monitor traffic and transportation systems and reduce travel times, bottle necks and accidents. Engineers can improve city systems like water supply networks and waste management, and city governments can ensure services like law enforcement, education and medical facilities are best situated to re... continue reading

Posted by Abby Pollen

B.C. Advances in Agritech

February 14, 2018

British Columbia’s agrifood and seafood sector is one of the most diverse in Canada, with over 200 primary agriculture products, 100 species of seafood, a world-renowned wine industry and a growing array of high-quality, high-value niche products. Agrifood entrepreneurs can access a variety of programs that support the growth and expansion of sector startups and businesses. These programs include the B.C. Agrifood Venture Acceleration Program, which provides training and network opportunities for agrifood technology entrepreneurs. Bioenterprise BC is a business accelerator that helps increase agri-food revenue. They collabo... continue reading

Posted by Abby Pollen

B.C. Innovation in Life Sciences

February 2, 2018

Life sciences is one of the fastest growing tech sub-sectors in North America, and biomedical engineers are in growing demand. British Columbia is investing in education for the sector with funding that will create 624 undergraduate spaces for domestic students at the University of British Columbia (UBC) for biomedical engineering, computer science and manufacturing engineering programs. UBC will help address industry needs for qualified professionals in life sciences, biotechnology and digital health technology. B.C.’s tech sector already employs more than 100,000 people and generates $26 billion annually, making it the f... continue reading

Posted by Abby Pollen

BC Economic Atlas Makes Site Selection Easy

December 19, 2017

Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates popularized the term “information at your fingertips” in 1990. While the internet was then still in its infancy, Gates had the foresight to see that the world of information was changing quickly and that ease of access made information valuable. The BC Economic Atlas, now integrated into our community profile pages, has raised the bar for innovative and intuitive data delivery in government. In 2015, the province’s Trade and Invest BC website, BritishColumbia.ca, was enhanced to reflect the evolving information needs of site selectors and corporate investors. The site now... continue reading

Posted by Abby Pollen

Tourists Drawn to B.C. Beauty and Community

December 12, 2017

British Columbia has a lot to offer in the tourism sector. The Thompson Okanagan region has recently been designated as the first sustainable tourism destination in the Americas by the Responsible Tourism Institute. Qualifying factors include environmental, social and cultural perspectives as well as foresight for sustainability maintenance in future years, all of which are well demonstrated across the region. The province is drawing a lot of activity from tourists with diverse interests. The agrifoods sector has generated a thriving market in vineyard and brewery tours. British Columbia has over 150 craft breweries, a... continue reading

Posted by Abby Pollen

British Columbia is a Big Player in the Video Game Industry

December 7, 2017

Video game companies are cropping up across the province of British Columbia, from Cosmic Logic, Gigatross Games, Hyper Hippo Productions and RocketSnail Games in Kelowna; to Hemisphere Games in Nelson; to the dozens of companies in Victoria and Vancouver. It’s a growing industry where creativity and technological know-how are joined in a productive union. The list of games coming out of British Columbia is extensive and caters to all demographics. DigiBC released an article in time for Halloween 2016 listing the spookiest games made in B.C, complete with embedded trailers and reviews. Vancouver-based Ingenuity Works speci... continue reading

Posted by Abby Pollen

Startups in British Columbia

November 28, 2017

British Columbia has cultivated an atmosphere in which innovative entrepreneurs can find the support, encouragement and resources they need to see their visions become reality. Organizations like the BC Innovation Council, the provincial Startup in Residence program, the BC Tech Association and Work BC offer assistance to new businesses. While the entire province of British Columbia is making strides with new businesses, the Okanagan boasts impressive resources and support for start-ups. One support structure is Accelerate Okanagan. Their mission is to give new technology-driven businesses the connections they need to thri... continue reading

Posted by Abby Pollen

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