Western Canadian Innovation

In the year 1980, the forestry sector was extremely criticized for over utilizing, harvesting and destroying the forests natural habitat. A preservationist group became alarmed about the forests natural condition and initiating a campaign for Forest Preservation.

The provincial government of British Columbia in 1994 created the Forest Reserve Act and created a forest land base exclusively used for commercial logging purposes. Meanwhile, the British Columbia Institute of Technology cares so much about it and offered a newly-revised Chemical and Environmental Technology program aiming to provide students with skills and a positive outlook towards the environment.

BCIT provides a world-class educational framework in sustainable resource management. This encourages future students to enroll in a course specifically targeted towards proper and efficient resource management. The Rivers Institute offered by BCIT will equipped the students about awareness and the importance of waterways and at the same an effort to save the world’s rivers. British Columbia’s Institute of Technology’s newest 4-year Bachelor course in Ecological Restoration aims to help students understand the importance of Ecosystems, preserving, preventing damage and repairs damage in the future.

Other courses offered by BCIT are the Applied and Natural Sciences, Health Science, Engineering, Business and Media. All courses offered aims to develop students to be aware about the natural resources, ecosystems and the new technology brought about by the changing times. Although, progress and developments will result into an innovations in British Columbia but it cannot deny the fact that it sometimes damage the natural resources and the natural beauty of one’ s country will deteriorate if not utilized wisely. Preservation is the most useful step we can take to prevent nature’s damage. BCIT courses are just perfect for the greater innovations in British Columbia particularly address to its natural gift of resources and location to prevent further damage.

British Columbia has set up research and innovations in four priority areas: life sciences, technology, clean technology and natural resources.  This has allowed the province to put up on accessible resources enhancing current capabilities and create an environment for potential new ideas that will advance prosperity and quality of life.

Life Sciences

Health, biotechnology, biomedical technologies and devices, and pharmaceuticals are among the focus included in life sciences.  The province is swiftly rising in the biotechnology industry in the country and the seventh largest in the continent.  World-class research centers and some of Canada’s most flourishing life sciences are based in British Columbia.  Among the successes the province boasts of is the genomics technology which has paved the way to tracking cancer at a microscopic stage.  New knowledge combined with existing techniques; dissecting the cells in common cancer will soon lead to transferring this knowledge to clinical findings and medical care procedures.  And this is simply one aspect of life sciences that B.C. is achieving.

Technology

This focus area comprises information and communication technology, wireless and emerging technologies, and new media.  This field employs about hundred thousand people and furnishes 5.9 per cent of British Columbia’s gross domestic product.  The economy of the province has been transformed into a knowledge-based financial system because of the new technologies being developed.  An innovative way of highlighting this priority research area is the Victoria Experimental Network Under the Sea (VENUS) project headed by the University of Victoria to study the assortment ecological units on the ocean floor of the province using internet and telecommunications technology.  They are able to deliver real-time data to researchers from the ocean floor.

Clean Technology

This area takes in sustainable technologies and alternative energy like green buildings, biomass, hydrogen, renewable energies, fuel cells and low-energy transportation.  B.C‘s hydro electricity generation that provides lowest power costs is the third largest in the country.  And being a natural gas producer, it is counted as the second largest in the nation.  A growing trend for oil and gas industry continues to boost, especially on the north-eastern part of the province.

Natural Resources

Fishing, agriculture, forestry, oil, gas and mining comprises areas of focus for natural resources. Research is centered at finding new methods to enhance operations with the conventional resource-based industries in the province.  Discovering way s to increase efficiency is another point being looked into.  One application is the use of genomics technology to produce a more beneficial and fertile forest to preserve the landscape.

The westernmost province of Canada bounded by the Yukon and the Northwest Territories up north and Alberta on the east for the Canadian side; on the U.S. side are the states of Alaska on the northwest, Washington, Idaho and Montana on the south; and the Pacific Ocean on the west coast is the province of British Columbia.  The province is Canada’s Asia-Pacific gateway.  Geographically and economically part of the northwest region of North America, British Columbia is a diverse region of different cultures.

Starting with the traditional resource based economy and still contributing to a large per cent of the financial systems, British Columbia is also gaining expansion in knowledge based economy from eco-tourism, agri-tourism, high technology, and film.  Innovations in life sciences, technology, clean technology and natural resources are the priority research areas in the province to boost the economy and keep it globally competitive and with the edge of leaders.

Small businesses are given opportunities as a result of promoting technology and creating an environment of entrepreneurial talents to promote more jobs so that enterprises would settle and succeed in British Columbia.  Technology companies embarking on the commercial world are provided assistance by the government and the British Columbia Innovation Council (BCIC) through various programs, trainings and workshops.  The BCIC also enhances the putting up technology in the market for ease of starting ventures to succeed creating economic development.

Another goal of the BCIC is to connect British Columbia companies to the global market for international growth by heightening recognition through major events.  The province has been host to the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the biggest sporting event in 2010.  British Columbia has been rising to prominent with the reputation of international sporting events that have been held in the province since 2005.  Most events are in football, rugby and soccer although these are just to name a few sports.   These events offer opportunities for growth in the business sector, as well.

Doing business in British Columbia is fairly good, whether it is a budding venture or an established one, the provincial government would be able to provide assistance for a more successful business.  Assistance may vary from economic initiatives for the established companies.  Or through research and innovation to shift to knowledge-based economy which could provide for a more productive way of living and the growth in the economy can sustain the province in the coming years.