Paul Colston looks at how Canada’s surging innovative technology sectors are also driving business events and providing deep value in knowledge exchange.
Canada’s commitment to technological advancements is driving growth across the sector, the country and the globe through business events.
“Canada’s technology sector is booming,” Virginie De Visscher, senior director of business development at Destination Canada, tells CMW. “With advancements in AI, telecommunications, e-commerce and gaming taking place from coast to coast, international conferences looking to take advantage of this expertise are choosing Canada,” she says.
This direct access to Canada’s pre-established ecosystems, combined with its world-leading research centres, vibrant urban centres and outdoor experiences, all can help planners create impactful agendas to inspire their delegates and meet their goals.
“The growth of technology within Canada’s private sector, paired with foreign investment and the government’s engagement within the sector, make Canada a great location for technology – and business events – to thrive,” De Visscher adds.
Canada has plenty of trailblazers across a host of emerging technologies and, as CMW illustrated with its deep dive into the country’s Life Sciences sector in 2019 for a special supplement, when conference-goers meet in the tech hubs, they can tap into Canada’s brain trust, connect with thought leaders, and explore the technologies powering the future. This can also be done during tech festivals, B2B exchanges, technical tours and more.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) alone is worth $84.9bn to Canada’s economy and now provides 1.5m jobs in the digital economy.
Recent technology investments include HSBC opening a Global Data & Innovation Lab in Toronto, employing over 50 people in AI-related roles; Samsung Electronics expanding its Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) artificial intelligence Lab Montreal, and Ericsson creating a global AI accelerator innovation hub in Montreal.
Facebook has expanded its Montreal AI lab; Amazon Web Services has opened a 13,000 sq. ft. office in Winnipeg and Accenture has opened a new innovation hub in Toronto, adding 800 technology jobs in 2020.
Fujitsu has founded a new subsidiary in Vancouver and Korea’s LG Electronics has partnered with the University of Toronto at a research centre in Toronto for the development of AI technology.
Another great example of the faith in Canada’s AI is the March 2021 launch by Deloitte of a rendition of their AI Institute in Canada.
The Deloitte news has been since followed by the Canadian government investing $14m into Redline Communications (Canada’s largest wireless tech firm). This is part of a larger, $39.5m investment to design a 5G wireless solution.
Of the world’s top 10 largest tech companies, nine have Canadian headquarters in the Greater Toronto Area; one is located in Montreal.
The national government is also harnessing the power of collaborative R&D, with a $950m investment matched by the private sector designed to unlock the power of data-driven innovation across a spectrum of industries that make up Canada’s five superclusters: digital technologies, protein industries, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and blue ocean science.
More information on these special sectors can be found in the Business Events Canada Technology brochure which not only profiles this Canadian expertise, but also links to how this expertise impacts meaningful business events. In the following pages we look at some selected Canadian cities and what they have to offer those looking to hook up their delegates and their communities with technology hotbeds.
