With record numbers of attendees and the demand for tickets outnumbering availability, the Province is announcing that the #BCTECH Summit will become an annual event, co-hosted by its Crown agency, the BC Innovation Council.

British Columbia’s second #BCTECH Summit brought together over 5,000 business and technology leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, academics and students to exchange ideas and explore the latest tech innovations fuelling B.C.’s economy.

B.C.’s vibrant tech sector set the stage as the summit showcased life-changing innovations made in B.C. and provided attendees with dozens of thought-provoking sessions, panels and keynotes by global thought leaders highlighting how technology is shaping B.C. and the world.

More than 1,000 organizations were represented; including hundreds of B.C. technology companies that were matched with potential clients and investors, while 1,500 students explored diverse and exciting career opportunities with their teachers and chaperones.

Highlights from the 2017 summit include:

• More than 3,000 delegates registered from throughout the province and right across the globe.
• 300 B.C. companies, organizations and post-secondary institutions wowed attendees with unique innovations and research – such as virtual and augmented reality, robots, exoskeletons and robots in the Marketplace and showcase areas.
• More than 1,500 secondary and post-secondary students, along with teachers and chaperones, explored exciting career paths related to technology during Youth Innovation Day.
• Forty of B.C.’s brightest tech stars pitched to more than 200 elite, national and international investors during the Investment Showcase.
• Over 250 business-to-business (B2B) meetings connected 145 B.C. tech firms with 41 potential technology buyers and scouts from the private and public sectors.

In addition, Techfest, which is a unique recruiting event, will be held tonight at the summit; where attendees will be presented with more than 300 exciting career opportunities.

Quotes:

Amrik Virk, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services –

“The sold-out #BCTECH Summit underscored the dedication, passion and success of B.C.’s diverse technology innovators and entrepreneurs across the province. Our #BCTECH Strategy is driving momentum, helping B.C. technology companies grow and create jobs throughout the province.”

Carl Anderson, president and CEO, BC Innovation Council –

“This year’s #BCTECH Summit wowed more than 3,000 conference delegates. Nearly four times as many B.C. companies showed off their ground-breaking innovations and almost three times the number of students spent a day exploring diverse technology career paths. I look forward to watching the connections made over these two days evolve into new partnerships, products and opportunities for this thriving sector.”

Quick Facts:

• B.C.’s tech sector employment eclipsed 100,000 for the first time in 2015, rising 2.9% to 101,780.
• Wages and salaries in the tech sector also hit a new high for the fifth consecutive year, climbing 4.5% to over $8.4 billion.
• B.C. has seen a 1.9% rise in the number of new technology companies with employees in 2015, growing to over 9,900 businesses. B.C. is home to 14% of Canada’s tech businesses.
• The tech sector produced approximately $26.3 billion in revenue in 2015, a rise of 5%.
• In 2015, the technology sector added $14.1 billion to B.C.’s GDP; contributing more than 11% of Canada’s tech total.
• B.C.’s tech commodity exports increased by 20.4% to just under $1.4 billion, representing 3.8% of the province’s overall exports.

Learn More:

To watch #BCTECH Summit videos, visit: https://bctechstrategy.gov.bc.ca/bctech-summit-web-casts

#BCTECH Strategy Update: https://bctechstrategy.gov.bc.ca/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/03/Renewed_BCTechStrategy.pdf

BC Jobs Plan Update: http://bcjobsplan.gov.bc.ca

Profile of the British Columbia Technology Sector: 2016 Edition: http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/BusinessIndustry/HighTechnology.aspx