Innovation Minister consults stakeholders in British Columbia on how to best take advantage of new data economy
NANAIMO, BC, August 20, 2018 /CNW/ - The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, consulted with British Columbians at a roundtable on how best to take advantage of the new data economy while also assuring people's privacy.
The roundtable with thought leaders from business and academic sectors in Nanaimo, British Columbia, is part of the national consultation on digital and data transformation that was launched on June 19. Today's roundtable was hosted by Innovation Island, an organization that helps entrepreneurs start and grow technology companies. Participants discussed how Canada can:
- stay competitive in a digital age;
- be innovative while protecting privacy and trust; and
- prepare for the ways in which new technologies will shape the workplace of the future.
The consultations are the next step in the Government of Canada's Innovation and Skills Plan, a plan to make us a world leader in innovation and create well-paying jobs from coast to coast to coast.
Quote
"Digital adoption will lead to increased productivity, economic growth and global competitiveness. Today's discussion was an important step in helping us understand what measures must be taken to unleash our innovative potential."
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development
Quick facts
- 90% of the world's data has been created in the last 2 years.
- 87% of Canadians and 95% of Canadian businesses are connected to the Internet.
- 94% of Canadian businesses use personal data.
- Young Canadians spend on average 5 hours a day on the Internet.
- Global e-commerce reached US$1.9 trillion in 2016.
- 8 to 9% of labour demand in 2030 will be in jobs that do not exist today.
- Canada ranks 5th in the OECD for creative thinking and 9th for problem solving in a technology-rich environment.
- Canada ranks 4th in the world on patents related to quantum computing.
- It is estimated that cybercrime will cost the world US$6 trillion annually by 2021.
Associated links
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SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Nilani Logeswaran, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, 343-291-2849, 613-668-1794 (cell); Media Relations, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 343-291-1777, [email protected]
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