PRINCE GEORGE, BC, Feb. 2, 2017 /CNW/ - The BC Innovation Council—a Crown agency of the Province—is helping BC companies find solutions to the challenges they face through a seven-city Regional Innovation Opportunities tour launched in Prince George today. The tour is intended to spark further innovation and job growth in BC's regional economies.
Home to two post-secondary institutions with tech-focused programming and a provincial tech accelerator, the Innovation Central Society, Prince George has over 115 tech firms employing approximately 850 people.
The tour is giving Prince George businesses the chance to collaborate with larger companies, government agencies and entrepreneurs, to find solutions to their business challenges. It is also an opportunity for companies to network and a chance to further build their businesses, leading to possible job opportunities and business markets that could expose companies to national and worldwide markets.
"BC's diverse regions are full of innovative tech-enabled companies with significant potential to grow and create jobs," said Carl Anderson, President & CEO, BC Innovation Council. "By bringing unique business opportunities to local communities throughout the province, we're sparking growth in BC's regional economies and enabling British Columbians to build companies in the places where they live with their families."
Examples of the companies and the types of challenges they are presenting in Prince George include:
"The Regional Innovation Opportunities tour is providing Prince George companies with new connections to drive business growth and create jobs," said Shirley Bond, MLA for Prince George-Valemount. "The relationships established today will give local companies exposure to national and international markets. The technology sector is a critical part of our Jobs Plan and we want to ensure that rural and northern communities have the opportunity to diversify their economies in areas like technology."
The first-of-its-kind tour will build a stronger network of tech companies throughout the province, giving local businesses in communities outside the Lower Mainland an opportunity to showcase their innovation provincewide and build their business where they live.
"By bringing Prince George's businesses together with government and industry, new business opportunities are opening up right here in our community," said Mike Morris, MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie. "This is a unique opportunity for businesses to collaborate, generating new ideas and strengthening our growing technology sector."
The Regional Innovation Opportunities Tour will visit six other communities between February 7 – March 6, 2017, including Victoria, Kamloops, Castlegar, Nanaimo, Terrace and Kelowna. For more information about the challenges and the opportunities they represent, visit: bcic.ca/regional-innovation-opportunities
About BC Innovation Council (www.bcic.ca)
The BC Innovation Council accelerates the growth and success of BC companies by providing resources and market opportunities for applied innovations that solve challenges and drive competitiveness in BC industries. Through the annual #BCTECH Summit and support of the BC government's #BCTECH Strategy, BCIC is fostering the growth of competitive companies that generate revenue, produce high-paying skilled jobs and drive economic development in BC.
SOURCE BC Innovation Council
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William Johnson, [email protected], Communications Manager, t: 604 602-5258
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