Invest Vancouver

The countdown is on: just 70 days until Web Summit Vancouver! Web Summit Vancouver will bring together 15,000+ tech leaders, investors, and innovators to explore the future of technology. During the event week, the Trade Commissioner Service | Service des délégués commerciaux is set to host its Do Business with Canada B2B program, connecting top Canadian tech companies with global buyers and VCs. This is a great opportunity for local companies: at last year's Collision event, the program facilitated over 500 business meetings, sparking new international connections and creating valuable leads for Canadian companies. Learn more below 🔽

📢🎮 Big news: the Metro Vancouver region just became an even better place to do business for digital media companies. As part of Budget 2025, the Government of British Columbia is making the Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit permanent and boosting it to 25%, effective September. This will help companies attract the talent they need to grow their teams and compete, strengthening a robust industry. With nearly 11,000 employees across 146 studios, B.C. is already a global hub for gaming and interactive tech. With this announcement, it’s a next-level place to create, invest, and expand. 

“What we want to make sure is that we’re representing the region, so that this region is as prosperous as the other parts of Canada given the growth we’ve seen in terms of foreign direct investment.” Last week, Invest Vancouver President Jacquie Griffiths, ICD.D joined a panel hosted by Conversations Live with Stuart McNish to discuss the impact of FDI in Canada and the importance of collaboration for the Metro Vancouver region to attract the investment and jobs that lead to a prosperous regional economy. Follow the link to watch the whole panel, featuring Vivian Chan (Partner, KPMG), Thomas Codrington (UK Consul General), Maria Rajanayagam (Commercial Markets Manager, RBC), Y. Beth Riley (Partner, McMillan LLP), and Invest Vancouver Management Board member Darren Dahl (Dean, UBC Sauder School of Business) alongside Jacquie: https://lnkd.in/g5V6BX58

U.S. tariffs are making waves—how should our region respond?   Today, Invest Vancouver brought together 20+ representatives from member jurisdictions and other key partners, including provincial and federal staff, for a virtual roundtable on the Metro Vancouver region & U.S. Tariffs: Risks, Responses & Resources.   As Metro Vancouver’s regional economic development service, Invest Vancouver convened this roundtable to explore how these tariffs will affect our region and to discuss what we can do at the regional and local level to support a strong economy and position our communities to navigate this uncertainty.   Thank you to our panelists, who kicked off the discussion with their expertise on key considerations in today's landscape: ⭐ Current Political Climate & Activities – Nicole Brassard, Vice President, British Columbia, Global Public Affairs ⭐ Economic Impact & Projections – Bryan Yu, AVP & Chief Economist, Central 1 ⭐ Regional Considerations & Actions – Tyler Westover, Director of Economic Development, City of Maple Ridge   Thank you to our speakers and attendees for sharing their knowledge. Tariffs create uncertainty, but proactive leadership and collaboration can create solutions.

💖 Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and you know we’ll never miss an opportunity to talk about how much we love the Metro Vancouver region.   Rather than writing a sappy love letter to the region we call home, we thought we'd simply share three of the many reasons we adore it.   ❤ Economic opportunity across the region: 🏔️ Each with their unique strengths, all 23 of our member jurisdictions contribute to making the Metro Vancouver region a world-class place to live and to do business.   ❤ A future-ready workforce: 📚 Here, our talent isn’t just highly educated and diverse: our innovators are inspired to push boundaries, solve complex challenges, and create meaningful impact.   ❤ Dedication to green innovation: 🌲 From expertise in hydrogen fuel cell technology to emerging strengths in water tech, the region’s environmental ethos and rich ecosystem make it the natural place for businesses in cleantech to grow and thrive. Comment and let us know: what do you love about the Metro Vancouver region?

Congratulations to the members of the Invest Vancouver Management Board who were named to Vancouver Magazine's Power50 list last week. Winners of the Power50 are individuals who are propelling the Metro Vancouver region and our communities into the future.   This year, the list included: ⭐ Ajay Patel (he/him), President, Vancouver Community College (VCC): "For thinking beyond the campus" ⭐ Bridgitte Anderson, ICD.D, President and CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade: "For championing a revitalized downtown" ⭐ Peter Xotta, President and CEO, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority: "One to watch"   We are grateful for all our Management Board members’ experience and expertise that help guide Invest Vancouver as we continue to build a globally competitive regional economy for the benefit of all residents.

📍 From globally renowned post-secondary institutions, resilient infrastructure, and some of the best outdoor recreation in the world, to a diverse and talented workforce, a thriving tech ecosystem, and a commitment to sustainability, the Metro Vancouver region truly has everything your business needs to succeed and thrive in the global economy. Get to know the Metro Vancouver region better—check out our interactive map via the link in the comments and explore all 23 member jurisdictions.

📈 Last week, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade launched "The 3% Challenge". The campaign calls on provincial decision-makers to take action to achieve a target of 3% annual economic growth. As the Metro Vancouver region's economic development service, Invest Vancouver is proud to help grow the economy by bringing FDI to the region, which fuels innovation, creates well-paying jobs, and strengthens the resiliency of our economy. The 3% Challenge is an important proactive step: by working together, we can rise to meet these challenging times and create a brighter, more prosperous future. 🔗 Learn more at the link in the comments section.

In just 117 days, one of the biggest tech conferences in the world is coming to the Metro Vancouver region… B.C. startups, are you ready for it?   Join Innovate BC on Wednesday, February 5 at noon for a FREE one-hour virtual kick-off event for the Road to Web Summit Vancouver (#R2WVS).   This four-month initiative is designed to help B.C. startups take advantage of Web Summit Vancouver to attract investors, acquire customers, and drive business growth.   This session will outline the events, training sessions, and programs planned across the next few months that will prepare you to engage the global community of investors, media, industry, and entrepreneurs at the conference.   Don't miss out—follow the link in the comments to secure your spot now and start building your game plan for Web Summit Vancouver! #websummitvancouver #websummit #vancouvertech

🎉Four Metro Vancouver companies were named to this year’s Global Cleantech 100 list! This recognition re-confirms what we already know: the Metro Vancouver region is a global cleantech powerhouse.   The annual Global #Cleantech100 list (Cleantech Group) identifies the 100 private companies that are most likely to make significant market impact over the next five to ten years. The four companies from the Metro Vancouver region that made it to the list were selected from a pool of 18,000+ nominations from over 52 countries! Join us in congratulating the four companies: 🌱 Ionomr Innovations Inc. (Vancouver) 🌱 Mangrove Lithium (Delta) 🌱 pH7 Technologies (Vancouver) 🌱 Svante (Burnaby)   From expertise in hydrogen fuel cell technology to emerging strengths in water tech, Metro Vancouver’s environmental ethos makes our region the natural place for businesses in cleantech to grow and thrive.   #cleantech #globalcleantech100 #greeneconomy #greentechnology