Michelle Mungall, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness, has issued the following statement in response to MasterCard’s announcement that it will begin a $510-million expansion of its global technology centre in Vancouver:

“MasterCard unveiled that the expanded centre will create 270 new jobs and 100 student co-op positions. This demonstrates, once again, that B.C. is an attractive place to invest, given our resilient economy and the talent of our people.

“B.C. is an emerging leader in artificial intelligence (AI) because of our strong startup ecosystem and international connections. The province is home to over 150 AI companies, including Fujitsu, and we are leading the way in AI research and development in our post-secondary system at universities like SFU, UBC and UVic. The arrival of MasterCard’s new centre will further strengthen Vancouver’s AI network and talent centre.

“The company’s expansion is a nod to B.C.’s highly skilled workforce and our significant investment in post-secondary tech co-ops and training. With the right talent in place, MasterCard will be able to achieve its goal to develop cybersecurity solutions that protect financial transactions.

“MasterCard collaborated with the provincial and federal governments and the Vancouver Economic Commission on this decision. Its investment adds to B.C.’s reputation as a global tech and innovation hub and demonstrates the benefits of investing in people.”