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Read more about British Columbia by visiting our archive of blog posts.
See what makes British Columbia a leading destination for business and investment
Strategically located at the commercial crossroads between the Asia-Pacific region and North America, British Columbia is one of North America’s most competitive and dynamic places in which to do business. Companies locating in British Columbia benefit from low taxes, competitive operating costs, stable labour conditions and an exceptional multicultural workforce that is well educated, highly skilled and productive.
But don’t take OUR word for it! British Columbia cities of all sizes placed strongly in new rankings of the best jurisdictions for foreign direct investment in North and South America. Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey, Richmond, Nanaimo, Delta, Kamloops and others earned top-10 rankings in various American Cities of the Future categories, developed by fDi Intelligence, a division of The Financial Times.
The American Cities of the Future 2013/14 rankings are based on data collected from 422 cities in five categories: economic potential, human resources, cost effectiveness, infrastructure and business friendliness.
Vancouver received honours as the number one large city overall, placing second for economic potential and third for infrastructure.
The provincial capital, Victoria, was also the leader in its category – small cities – with Richmond placing third overall. Victoria and Richmond also made the Top 10 for business-friendliness. Abbotsford was also recognized in the small cities category, with a top ten placing in cost-effectiveness.
Among mid-sized cities, Surrey was ranked seventh overall, as well as seventh for infrastructure, and sixth for business friendliness.
British Columbia fared extremely well in the “Microcities” category, with Kamloops, Delta, Nanaimo and North Vancouver all being recognized in multiple categories, and Kamloops placing fifth overall.
Thinking of exploring an investment opportunity in British Columbia? Our global team of Trade and Investment Representatives will help you make your investment in British Columbia. Talk to us today and discover the range of services we offer prospective and current investors.
Access the full American Cities of the Future report here.
Photo Credit: Blackbird Interactive
San Francisco will be the place to be for international gamers as the city plays host to the Game Developers Conference (GDC) from March 25-29, 2013, one of world’s premier game development events attracting over 22,500 attendees.
The conference serves as a forum for game designers, programmers and artists to discuss and exchange ideas which affect the industry as well as to explore partnerships, new ventures and expand business relationships. British Columbia will be on display at the show with a booth facilitated by our Trade and Investment team as well as having a presence at various events and receptions associated with the show. The British Columbia booth will feature representatives from the Centre for Digital Media, a Vancouver-based institution offering a Masters in Digital Media. The Centre also aims to bring together business, academia and the community into an emerging district for the digital and creative sectors. DigiBC, a member-supported, non-profit organization that promotes British Columbia’s digital media and wireless sector, will also be participating, as well as several local companies, ready to profile British Columbia as an international game development hub. They include:
Roadhouse Interactive a Vancouver based end-to-end solution provider for the next generation of browser, social, and mobile games.
Eastside Games creates products for social and mobile platforms, including Android, iOS and Facebook. Steadily growing in popularity, their games have over 7.5 million installs and well over half a million unique users every month.
InLight Entertainment a developer of interactive games for kids. The Victoria-based company has worked with the world’s top developers in creating engaging games for handheld, mobile and casual gamers.
WTFast provide access to a private Internet connection and network exclusively for large-scale multiplayer online games and their game data. Users sign up to access the service which ensures game connection and speed are always optimized.
Blackbird Interactive is a team of experienced and successful video game industry veterans who aim to deliver high quality free-to-play content worldwide, the company strives to be a leader in creating immersive experiences for a demanding and selective audience.
Harakoa is a small independent start up creating innovative mobile games. Founded in 2011 by a brother and sister team, the company’s main goal is to create fun games that attract a diverse set of users.
Playerize works with game studios to increase revenue from online game play and find new players for their clients. The company uses a variety of tactics including direct advertising and search networks to increase player acquisition.
Slant Six Games a Vancouver-based game development company that has worked with large-scale game publishers and recently released their first original title, The Bowling Dead in November 2012.
KoolHaus Games create high quality electronic games for all ages and genres by integrating the four key elements of making games: design, code, art and sound. The Koolhaus team is comprised of individuals from the video game, movie, music and television industries.
British Columbia is recognized as an international gaming centre, with more than 85 interactive studios employing an estimated 5,000 full-time high tech professionals. Our strategic location on Canada’s west coast allows companies to leverage relationships with the entertainment hub in Los Angeles, technology centres in Seattle and key markets in Europe and Asia, while having access to a large pool of talented local industry professionals.
To learn more about British Columbia’s gaming sector please contact one of our Trade and Investment Representatives.
Learn more about British Columbia's thriving digital media sector
Making Connections Between Sessions at the BC India Global Business Forum
On March 11 & 12, 2013, British Columbia hosted the inaugural BC – India Global Business Forum in Vancouver. The highly successful event attracted over 450 participants including large delegations travelling from India and from elsewhere in Canada to participate. Many private business meetings were also held before, during and after the forum.
The forum featured a series of panel discussions, providing an opportunity for Indian leaders to engage with British Columbians on India’s rapidly growing marketplace. Speakers and panelists in the program included a Who’s Who list of leaders from business, government, media, and academia in both India and Canada.
During panel sessions titled “The New India: The Opportunity is Now”, “Doing Business Between BC and India: A Trade & Investment Roadmap” and “Canada-India Case Studies: Opportunities to Succeed”, attendees learned about the intricacies of this new market and the opportunities that will be created as India continues to grow. With well-established cultural ties to India, a stable and diversified economic base, British Columbia is very well positioned to tap India’s growing potential.
British Columbia Premier Christy Clark was on hand to welcome delegates to the event and speak about the need to promote British Columbia to Indians. During her keynote address, Premier Clark talked about the steps the Province of British Columbia is taking to achieve greater profile and recognition in India, including a trade mission in late 2011, the upcoming Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA) in Vancouver on April 4-6, 2013, and the recent expansion of British Columbia’s trade offices in India
With support from an India-focused Trade and Investment team here in British Columbia and the existing office in Bangalore, two new offices in Mumbai and Chandigarh provide export-ready British Columbia companies with additional entry points into the diverse and fast-growing Indian market and offer support for Indian companies interested in business and investment opportunities in British Columbia.
Forum Panelist Vivek Rastogi of Abellon Clean Energy gave a nod to the exceptional work and services provided by the province’s Vancouver-based India Market Team and British Columbia’s Trade and Investment Representatives in India, but they won’t have long to bask in the glow of his praise: if the many discussions taking place both on and off the podium at the forum are any indication, British Columbia’s Trade and Investment team is going to be very busy helping forge partnerships between resource-hungry India and resource-rich British Columbia to help fuel India’s new economy. LNG (liquefied natural gas) was certainly a popular topic of the day, and panelist Praveen Kadle, CEO of Tata Capital, part of the $100 billion Tata Group, expressed his company’s particular interest in British Columbia as a provider of clean energy.
If you’re interested in exploring British Columbia-India business or investment opportunities, contact British Columbia’s India Trade and Investment team in Vancouver or India today.
Chef & food stylist, Nathan Fong, prepares dishes at the British Columbia pavilion.
Armed with samples of their delectable ocean offerings several British Columbia companies were in Boston, USA, to attend the International Boston Seafood Show from March 10-12, 2013. The show is recognized as the largest seafood exposition in North America with participants coming from around the world, making the event an excellent opportunity to showcase the best of British Columbia seafood.
Participating companies were able to take advantage of the 80 foot pavilion which featured a kitchen, sampling counter and tables for conducting meetings with seafood buyers. Show attendees flocked to the pavilion to sample dishes created by British Columbia chef and food stylist, Nathan Fong, whose creations included citrus tomato salsa with sockeye salmon ceviche, sablefish hash and caviar with chived eggs.
Local companies exhibiting at the British Columbia pavilion included:
Canadian Fishing Company (Canfisco) processes and markets premium and sustainable seafood. Working from the coastal waters of British Columbia and Alaska, the company supplies its customers with high quality seafood such as wild salmon, herring, black cod, hake, halibut, Pacific white fish and sardines.
Fanny Bay Oysters specializes in manila clams, mussels, savoury clams and oysters which have quickly developed a loyal following from seafood lovers around the world.
Fisherbay Seafood works directly with select fishermen and their vessels to ensure the highest standard of seafood. The majority of their products are caught off the west coast of Vancouver Island and the north coast.
Flying Fresh Air Freight is an international freight forwarding company based at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). As the leader in the transportation of perishable goods for over 20 years, cargo is the core of their business.
Gold River Seafood Ltd a Canadian-owned company that specializes in the supply of high quality seafood products sourced from the waters of the Pacific Rim. Gold River’s range of products include: black cod, Pacific halibut, wild salmon and albacore tuna.
Aqualine Seafoods Ltd. is a leading Canadian wholesale supplier of wild sustainable fish products. The company works with a variety of local fisheries and processing facilities to provide seafood products to clients around the world.
BC Seafood Alliance is an umbrella group that brings together traditional capture fisheries, seafood processors, marketers and exporters who collectively represent more than 90% of the commercially harvested seafood in B.C.
Best Honour Seafood supply local and international markets with some of British Columbia’s finest seafood for over 15 years with their specialities being Dungeness crab and geoduck.
Calkins & Burke Ltd. offers a wide range of fresh, frozen and canned seafood products. Founded in 1914, the company is a leader in developing and marketing high quality seafood products as well as selling to international clients
Grand Hale Marine Products is a Richmond-based seafood supplier and processor. With a staff of over 200 people committed to providing high quality products, Grand Hale Marine Products has earned a reputation of being one of the best seafood processors in British Columbia.
Northern Divine is quickly gaining an international following with its organically grown Canadian black caviar. Northern Divine Caviar is crafted by Target Marine Hatcheries, Canada’s only producer of farmed white sturgeon.
North Delta Seafood has provided quality seafood to customers worldwide since 1978. It controls all aspects of production, from the fishing fleet to the processing plant, final packaging and shipping.
Tracy Ronlund, Vice President of Fisher Bay Seafood Ltd. hosting a meeting at the British Columbia pavilion.
British Columbia has become recognized worldwide with providing international markets fresh and sustainable seafood products. With 100 species found throughout British Columbia, seafood has become the number one food export with shipments to more than 70 countries generating a total export value of close to CAD$1 billion.
For more information on British Columbia’s world-class seafood industry please contact one of our Trade and Investment Representatives.
The Honourable Michael de Jong, British Columbia Minister of Finance and Nicholas Lepage, Senior Trade Commissioner with British Columbia’s India Trade and Investment Team
With two newly-opened British Columbia Trade and Investment offices in Chandigarh and Mumbai, an upcoming Global Business Forum focused on British Columbia and India business and investment opportunities, and next month’s Times of India Film Awards in Vancouver, British Columbia is cementing an already strong cultural and business relationship with India.
British Columbia has longstanding ties to India, both culturally and through investment and trade partnerships. Trade between British Columbia and India is growing and Indian investment in British Columbia has increased steadily in recent years, particularly in the information technology and software sectors. As one of the fastest growing markets in the world, India’s middle class is expected to grow to 583 million in the next 15 years from just 50 million today. This growth will unleash enormous buying potential, much of which will be met by global imports.
Each year several thousand immigrants arrive from India to make their home in British Columbia, and with a growing number of Vancouver-area residents speaking either Punjabi or Hindi at home – nearly 140,000 were reported in Canada’s 2011 census – British Columbia offers a welcoming environment for Indian business and investment, and the province is already feeling the economic impact of India’s burgeoning middle class. In 2012, British Columbia’s exports to India increased by 60 per cent compared to 2011.
Several recent and upcoming initiatives geared towards fostering British Columbia – India relations will position the province as a leading trade and investment partner to India. “India is an obvious business ally for us here in B.C., as we have a common bond through language, the Commonwealth, shared culture, and a firm commitment to democracy and open markets.” says Iain Black, president and CEO of the Vancouver Board of Trade.
To help build on our already strong relationship, British Columbia recently opened two new Trade and Investment Offices in India, nearly tripling the number of staff representing British Columbia business in the country. With support from an India-focused Trade and Investment team here in British Columbia and the existing office in Bangalore, these new offices provide export-ready British Columbia companies with additional entry points into the diverse and fast-growing Indian market and offer support for Indian companies interested in business and investment opportunities in British Columbia.
Members of British Columbia’s India Trade and Investment team will be heading to Vancouver on March 11th and 12th, 2013, when business and government leaders from India and British Columbia gather to take a close look at trade and investment opportunities between our two jurisdictions. The BC-India Global Business Forum will feature expert speakers, insightful panels and plenty of opportunities for executives to network, share ideas and identify opportunities to forge new partnerships. The high-profile slate of speakers and panelists at next week’s Global Business Forum includes:
The BC-India Global Business Forum was recently profiled in an “Invest in British Columbia” feature in the Economic Times newspaper, as part of a series of profiles focused on British Columbia’s business and trade advantages and opportunities. These profiles are the result of a recent agreement forged between the Province of British and the Times of India Group for Vancouver to play host to the inaugural Times of India Film Awards. The Times of India Group is the largest mass media company in India, reaching an estimated 90 million people per day worldwide. The Times of India newspaper is the world’s largest English-language daily in terms of circulation.
The inaugural Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA), will take place in Vancouver on April 4-6, 2013. The event will recognize and honour the best of Indian cinema, celebrating India’s world-renowned film industry while also acting as a catalyst for solidifying relationships between British Columbia and India and building awareness of British Columbia within the population of India.
To find out more about this exciting event, please visit: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toifa
If you’re interested in exploring British Columbia-India business or investment opportunities, contact British Columbia’s India Trade and Investment team in Vancouver or India today.
The Duke of York speaks during the opening of British Columbia’s Trade and Investment Office for Europe in London at a reception hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner, Gordon Campbell.
British Columbia’s newest Trade and Investment office was given a royal welcome on February 27, 2013 as the Duke of York officially opened the office at a reception hosted by the Canadian High Commissioner, Gordon Campbell, and attended by the Lt.-Gov. for British Columbia, the Honourable Judith Guichon.
The event included an announcement by His Royal Highness that he plans to visit British Columbia in May of this year. The Duke of York also discussed the trade and investment relationship between British Columbia and the United Kingdom. “I am extremely pleased to support the trade effort that goes on between the U.K. and Canada and particularly B.C. – and particularly that the West Coast intends to develop its relationship with the U.K.,” the Duke said.
The new Trade and Investment Office, co-located with an existing Tourism Division team in central London, aims to strengthen British Columbia’s traditionally strong and economically vital ties with the European Union and the United Kingdom.
The London trade office will be headed by Susan Haird, British Columbia’s European Trade and Investment Representative. Susan and her team of sector specialists – based in the United Kingdom, France and Germany, will work to attract investment into British Columbia and help connect companies with new markets and trade opportunities throughout Europe.
British Columbia has nine trade and investment representatives (TIRs) based in Japan, Korea, India, East China, North China, South China, Hong Kong, Europe and the United States. The TIR team works to deliver a range of services and expertise while also showcasing British Columbia products and resources.
When local companies are ready to do business abroad or when international companies are considering British Columbia for an investment or business opportunity, British Columbia’s team of representatives are ready to assist with making introductions to potential buyers, investors and other in-market partners.
Interested in learning what British Columbia’s trade and investment network can do for you? Contact one of our Trade and Investment Representatives to discover the opportunities for your business.
Clean Tech leaders talk about British Columbia's advantages
British Columbia is a world-class centre for hydrogen and fuel cell technology, enjoying 16 per cent of global market share in this clean technology sector. Most of the $1-billion-plus invested in hydrogen and fuel cell technology in Canada since 2002 has gone to industry-leading British Columbia, making it a desirable location for companies interested in developing and integrating fuel cell technologies.
In 2012, Mercedes-Benz, whose parent company Daimler AG is a fuel cell pioneer in Europe, opened a 35,500-square-foot manufacturing plant in Burnaby, British Columbia, aided by British Columbia’s Trade and Investment team in Vancouver who helped steer the due diligence required for Mercedes-Benz to make Burnaby its manufacturing centre of choice.
Mercedes-Benz chose Burnaby as the location for its new plant because it’s at the centre of Metro Vancouver’s industrial fuel cell cluster, an established network that fosters innovation. In January of 2013, this cluster made international news when it was announced that Daimler, Ford Motor Company and Renault-Nissan are teaming up to speed development of cars that run on hydrogen and that one of the primary work sites will be Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation, a Burnaby-based company in which Daimler holds a majority interest. The three automotive giants plan to bring a vehicle to market in as little as four years.
While Mercedes-Benz, Ford and Renault-Nissan are busy working on their fuel-cell-powered car, British Columbia fuel cell innovators Ballard Power, Powertech Labs and Green Light Innovation are heading off to Tokyo, Japan for Fuel Cell Expo 2013, February 27-March 3, to share their expertise and learn from other fuel cell industry leaders. Fuel Cell Expo is one of the world’s largest industry events, offering opportunities to meet fuel cell & system manufacturers from around the globe, as well as hydrogen and fuel cell users from various industries and energy related professions.
Can’t make it to Tokyo this year? Closer to home the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association has developed a new webinar series, titled “Kicking Butt in Overseas Clean-Tech Markets”, to help its members and other clean tech companies create additional capacity to build revenue and market share by taking their technology to new customers and new markets overseas.
Led by Gustavo Zentner, President of InterPOC Inc, a Canadian consulting and training company specializing in international trade, the seven-part series will address the specific opportunities and challenges of marketing clean technology by examining trade planning, international execution, trade financing and cultural sensitivities. Specific webinars will focus on selling to Korea, China, and India.
Visit the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association to register. The free webinar series begins Thursday February 21st, 2013.
If you’d like to learn more about investment opportunities in British Columbia’s clean technology sector, contact a Trade and Investment Representative today.
Learn more about what makes British Columbia a leader in life sciences
All over the world academics, life sciences innovators and investors are practicing their elevator speeches and otherwise preparing to put their best foot forward for one of biotechnology’s premier matchmaking events which takes place February 24-26, 2013.
Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the annual BioPartnering North America conference (BPN) will introduce participants to The Global Life Science Network where research and learning, business networking and partnership opportunities are optimized. BPN brings new sources of partnerships and investments from foundations, research institutes and publicly funded organizations, as well as the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. An investor track offers opportunities to present to more than 50 institutional investors.
Not entirely unlike a singles’ “speed dating” event, BPN provides a venue for delegates to take part in face-to-face meetings with the goal of formulating new business relationships. It’s a great format for quickly exploring the possibilities for collaboration with a broad range of potential partners.
British Columbia organizations planning to seek out a perfect partnership at BPN 2013 include the following:
British Columbia is recognized as one of the most successful biotechnology centres in Canada, putting our life sciences organizations right at the top of BPN’s “Most Eligible” list. We have created a dynamic environment for the discovery, testing and development of new pharmaceuticals and devices, and have world-leading expertise in a diverse range of life science products and services from foundational research through to product development, testing, and commercialization.
Our life sciences cluster includes more than 100 biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, many of which have emerged from B.C.’s globally-recognized research institutions.
What makes British Columbia such a hotbed of life sciences innovation?
Would you like to find YOUR perfect biotechnology partner in British Columbia? Contact British Columbia’s global team of Trade and Investment Representatives today.
British Columbia aerospace companies are soaring to new heights. (Photo credit: Viking Air)
The month of February will be a busy one for British Columbia’s aerospace companies as several of them travel near and far to showcase the strengths of the industry. Local companies are jetting into Bangalore, India for the Aero India show from February 6-10, 2013. The event is recognized as the premier aerospace event in India, sponsored by the Indian Ministry of Defence. The British Columbia contingent will include:
Viking Air- In 2006, Viking acquired the design rights for the entire line of de Havilland heritage aircraft, and in 2007, launched the Twin Otter Series 400 Production Program. With orders exceeding $400M, the Series 400 is now confirmed as the best-selling next-generation 19 passenger aircraft available today.
Spectrum Signal Processing by Vecima- Designers and builders of hardware solutions for signal and video processing applications, Spectrum combines high-performance data acquisition and reconfigurable signal and video processing with best-in-class support and engineering services. The Burnaby-based company has also worked with military customers from around the world on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.
Codan Radio Communications- Located in Victoria British Columbia, Codan Radio Communications designs and manufactures high frequency and land mobile radio applications. Codan products are renowned for their low power consumption, ruggedness and transportability, surviving in the harshest environments.
Closer to home, British Columbia will have a strong presence at the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance Conference in Lynnwood, Washington from February 12-14, 2013. The conference is a key event for the Pacific Northwest aerospace sector with American and international aerospace companies in attendance. British Columbia companies participating will include:
Pelesys Learning Systems Inc- This Richmond-based company has become a world leader in providing aviation training solutions to airlines, manufacturers and training organizations.
Metal Action Machining- Working with clients such as Boeing, Cessna and Avcorp, Metal Action Machining works on projects related to aerospace tooling and production.
Anodyne Electronics Manufacturing Corp (AEM) – A leading designer and manufacturer of aircraft audio systems, intercoms, tactical FM radio systems and other aircraft components, AEM is also a Transport Canada approved manufacturer and maintenance organization.
Wesgar- This Port-Coquitlam based company is a fully integrated CNC precision sheet metal contract manufacturer with AS9100 & ISO9001 quality management certifications.
Epic Data International – Developers of a broad range of software and hardware solutions for data collection and operations management in manufacturing and warehousing controls.
Williams & White Machine Inc. – A leading edge manufacturing organization comprised of three independent business units including Williams and White Equipment, Machining, and Automation.
YPK Pitt Meadows Regional Airport- Acting as a gateway to the Fraser Valley and the Metro Vancouver regions, the Pitt Meadows Regional Airport is home base for three major rotary wing operations as well as a hub for businesses offering aviation and non-aviation services.
The aerospace industry in British Columbia is recognized globally for its excellence in delivering highly specialized products and services. The sector also includes a diverse group of technology companies able to provide nimble and responsive support and solutions catered to the needs of industry leaders and global supply chains.
With close proximity to Boeing’s final assembly and integration production lines in the Seattle area, British Columbia is a preferred gateway to the Asia Pacific and a major hub for the Pacific Northwest and Canada’s growing aerospace industry.
For more information on British Columbia’s thriving aerospace sector please contact one of our Trade and Investment Representatives.
