BC’s high-tech sector has the potential
to become a major global player
How BC can attract more head offices
While small compared to that of Silicon Valley, BC’s high-tech sector has seen tremendous
growth in recent years, and it has the potential to become a major global player. An essential
step in achieving this status will be to attract more major corporate headquarters to BC, and to
further develop the ones located here already. The industry could then develop the leadership
and local network of businesses it needs to thrive, as well as creating spin-off opportunities in
the legal, financial, leasing, and marketing industries.
On the global high-tech industry stage, BC
may be constrained by its own modesty.
While BC does have high-tech leaders, the
industry itself is being eclipsed by developments and innovations in the US and Europe.
The various players in BC’s high-tech industry
need to work together to make a strong case
for its advantages: a high-quality talent pool,
low business costs, a shared time zone with
Silicon Valley, and a high quality of life. BC
needs to create a brand based on these merits
and market its high-tech sector to the world.
Leadership and collaboration between industry and government will be a critical first
step towards drawing more large companies
here and achieving this goal.
Marlyn Chisholm is the principal of
Chisholm Consulting and the lead economist
on CPABC’s annual BC Check-Up and
Regional Check-Up reports.
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22 CPABC in Focus • Nov/Dec 2016
2016 BC CHECK-UP
Detailed report
available online
A full version of the BC Check-Up
report is available at bccheckup.
com. For more information about
the report, contact Vivian Tse,
CPABC’s public affairs specialist,
at [email protected].