Canada’s West Coast Innovation Hub

InnovateBC, Supports and Networks

Programs, such as InnovateBC, are funded by the provincial government to help companies choose B.C. to thrive and grow. A well-educated, skilled, and flexible workforce of more than 2.4 million workers, many with an education from our world-class colleges and universities, help businesses embed and embrace innovation and become competitive, locally and globally.

We have developed a Technology and Innovation Policy Framework to cultivate industry clusters — geographically connected groups — throughout the province, with diverse, engaged, and skilled employees. B.C. also supports a large network of business incubators and accelerators that help scale innovative enterprises.

Leading Forward

More unicorn companies (with valuations over $1 billion) have come out of B.C. in the past year than anywhere else in Canada, and we boast some of the highest technology sector growth rates in the country.

Vancouver’s virtual and augmented reality sector is the second largest in the world, trailing only the Bay Area and Silicon Valley. B.C. is also the birthplace of the one-way quantum computer and home to the Quantum Algorithms Institute.

Canada also ranked second on the Global Cleantech Innovation Index in 2021, and 45% of the Canadian companies on the list are located in B.C.