The BC Tech Association (BC Tech), formally the British Columbia Technology Industry Association (BCTIA), is a not-for-profit member-funded

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry. An industry trade association partic ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, which promotes the

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, scien ...

industry in the province. The technology industry in BC has been growing steadily since the late 1990sIndustry Canada, Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), ICT Sector Regional Report - British Columbia
October 2008, Retrieved on 2008-10-28 and constituted 5.9% of British Columbia's economic output in 2007.Profile of the British Columbia High Technology Sector
Schrier, Dan; Hallin, Lillian (2008). BC Stats. Retrieved on 2008-10-28 BC Tech has a membership base of over 2,100 companies ranging from start-ups to established organizations,Canadian Technology Associations.
, Backbone Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-11-01. and spanning a variety of technology-related sectors including

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty ...

, hardware,

software Software is a set of computer programs and associated documentation and data. This is in contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and which actually performs the work. At the lowest programming level, executable code consist ...

, life sciences,

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...

natural resources Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value. ...

, web technology and

green energy Energy is sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". Most definitions of sustainable energy include considerations of environmental aspects such as greenh ...

. BC Tech facilitates partnerships and programs within the BC technology industry, as well as advocating on behalf of association members and the industry as a whole.BCTIA: About Us
, Retrieved on 2008-11-01.

History

BC Tech was incorporated in 1993 with the amalgamation of the Electronic Manufacturers' Association of British Columbia (EMABC) and the Information Technology Association of Canada, BC Chapter (ITAC-BC). Over the years, BC Tech has provided opportunities for professional development, delivered industry-focused events and programs, and exerted political influence on the industry's behalf, as well as working with the BC government and BC universities to double the number of students graduating in the fields of computing sciences and computer and electrical engineering.BCTIA And Universities Pleased with High Technology Commitments.
, The University Presidents' Council of British Columbia. (19 February 2002). Retrieved on 2008-11-01. Over the years, BC Tech has led a number of initiatives designed to support the growth of BC's technology industry. In 2004, it launched the Integrated Technology Initiative (ITI), a coalition of BC science and technology stakeholders led by BC Tech that was involved in analyzing and consolidating existing research to develop a competitive strategy for BC's science and technology industry.Integrated Technology Initiative Launched Successfully.
CanadaIT Ventures Inc. (29 June 2004). Retrieved on 2008-11-01. In 2006, BC Tech partnered with the not-for-profit British Columbia Regional Science & Technology Network (BCRSTN) to facilitate collaboration, innovation, and commercialization of research.Technology Associations From Across BC Join Forces to Accelerate Growth of Tech Industry.
CanadaIT Ventures Inc. (9 November 2006). Retrieved on 2008-11-01. In June 2007, BC Tech joined forces with the Power Technology Alliance to support the growth of the

clean technology Clean technology, in short cleantech, is any process, product, or service that reduces negative environmental impacts through significant energy efficiency improvements, the sustainable use of resources, or environmental protection activities. Cl ...

industry in British Columbia, which comprises more than 200 companies working to develop clean, green energy and

renewable energy sources Renewable energy is energy that is collected from renewable resources that are naturally replenished on a human timescale. It includes sources such as sunlight, wind, the movement of water, and geothermal heat. Although most renewable energy ...

and services. To this end, BC Tech has established a Clean Energy Technology Program and a Clean Tech Industry Advisory Group to ensure that these companies have the capital, human resources, and access to markets they need to grow and prosper.BCTIA Goes Green: Power Technology Alliance Merges with BCTIA.
CanadaIT Ventures Inc. (18 June 2007). Retrieved on 2008-11-01. Jill Tipping replaced Bill Tam as President and CEO of BC Tech in November 2017. Bill Tam was President and CEO from 2011 to 2017. Former Presidents and CEOs include Dr. Pascal Spothelfer and Rob Cruickshank.People
BNET Business Network. (October 2007). Retrieved on 2008-11-01.

Activities

BC Tech has been working with BC's

Ministry of Advanced Education Alberta Advanced Education (also known as the Ministry of Advanced Education) is a ministry in the Executive Council of Alberta. Alberta Advanced Education is responsible for the public funding of post-secondary institutions in the province, in ad ...

and Labour Market Development to create a technology action plan for British Columbia.BCTIA 2006 Technology Impact Awards.
, Coell, Murray, Advanced Education Minister. (8 June 2006). Retrieved on 2008-11-01. In addition, BC Tech hosts a number of regular events, including CTO Roundtables, Technology Forums, Software-as-aService (SaaS) Bootcamps, and the annual Technology Impact Awards (TIAs), as well as working to develop and recruit talent through its TechTalent BC initiatives TechTalent BC.
, BCTIA.org. Retrieved on 2008-11-01.

Technology Impact Awards

The annual BC Technology Impact Awards were founded by BC Tech in 1994. There are three categories of TIA awards: Technology Awards, Company Awards, and Personal Recognition Awards. To participate in the TIAs, a technology company must have its head office based in British Columbia or have established a significant operating division complete with senior management in the province. TIAs winners benefit through media recognition and the opportunity to connect with potential investors, advisors, mentors, and partners.BCTIA Seeks Submissions for the 2008 Technology Impact Awards.
, T-Net Inc. (13 June 2008). Retrieved 2008-11-01. TIAs winners in recent years have included AbeBooks,

Strangeloop Networks Strangeloop Networks Inc develops the Strangeloop Site Optimizer software tool. Strangeloop Networks was founded in 2006 by twin brothers Jonathan Bixby and Joshua Bixby, with Richard Campbell, Kent Alstad, and Lee Purvis. The company's first pro ...

Business Objects A business object is an entity within a multi-tiered software application that works in conjunction with the data access and business logic layers to transport data. For example, a "Manager" would be a ''business object'' where its attributes c ...

, and EQO Communications.Technology Impact Award Winners
, BCTIA.org. Retrieved 2008-11-01.

TechTalentBC

BC Tech takes an active role in developing local talent and recruiting skilled technology workers through a number of initiatives, including awarding scholarships to BC students who plan to make their careers in science and technology,BC Technology Industry Announces 2008 Scholarship Winners.
, aT-Net Inc. (13 June 2008). Retrieved 2008-11-01. and offering foreign recruitment workshops and other programs to help fill the 10,000 BC job openings in technology and related fields projected for 2008 alone.
, Morton, Brian. (7 February 2008). Retrieved 2008-11-01. BC Tech also conducts various industry studies to generate a greater understanding of BC's technology industry. These studies enable industry organizations to offer more targeted industry development campaigns and strategic corporate growth programs. One such study, the 2007 TechTalentBC Labour Demand survey, was undertaken with the assistance of the Information and Communications Technology Council. This study sought information regarding difficulties companies have in attracting top talent and the strategies they use to increase their headcounts.Beating the Bushes for Tech Talent – British Columbia Technology Industry Steps up Efforts to Fill Serious Recruiting Gaps.
, eMediaWire. (6 February 2008). Retrieved 2008-11-01.

Members

High-profile members of BC Tech include companies such as

Sierra Wireless Sierra Wireless is a Canadian multinational wireless communications equipment designer, manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. It also maintains offices and operations in California, Sweden, K ...

MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates MDA Ltd. is a Canadian space technology company headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, that provides geointelligence, robotics & space operations, and satellite systems. History MDA (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates) was founde ...

PMC-Sierra PMC-Sierra was a global fabless semiconductor company with offices worldwide that developed and sold semiconductor devices into the storage, communications, optical networking, printing, and embedded computing marketplaces. On January 15, 2016, ...

Bell Mobility Bell Mobility Inc. is a Canadian wireless network operator and the division of Bell Canada which offers wireless services across Canada. It operates networks using LTE and HSPA+ on its mainstream networks. Bell Mobility is the third-largest ...

Electronic Arts Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) is an American video game company headquartered in Redwood City, California. Founded in May 1982 by Apple employee Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer game industry and promoted the ...

(Canada) Inc., IBM Canada, Maximizer Software, the

Microsoft Canada Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation, multinational technology company, technology corporation producing Software, computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at th ...

Development Centre,

Nokia Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, established in 1865. Nokia's main headquarters are in Espoo, Finland, i ...

Sony Canada Sony Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation, of Tokyo, Japan. Sony provides products that include Blu-ray players, BRAVIA televisions, Cyl digital cameras, Handycam Camcorders, VAIO computers, broadcast cameras, IPELA security ...

Sun Microsystems Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Sun for short) was an American technology company that sold computers, computer components, software, and information technology services and created the Java programming language, the Solaris operating system, ZFS, t ...

Telus Telus Communications Inc. (TCI) is the wholly owned principal subsidiary of Telus Corporation, a Telecommunications in Canada, Canadian national telecommunications company that provides a wide range of telecommunications products and services ...

, and

Ballard Power Systems Ballard Power Systems Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell products for markets such as heavy-duty motive (consisting of bus and tram applications), portable power, material handling as well as engine ...

. BC Tech members also include research and development organizations such as the

National Research Council (Canada) The National Research Council Canada (NRC; french: Conseil national de recherches Canada) is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research & development. It is the largest federal research ...

, government organizations such as the

BC Innovation Council Innovate BC (formally the BC Innovation Council or BCIC) is a Crown Agency of the Province of British Columbia, Canada, which funds entrepreneurial support programs in the province. Innovate BC focuses on the support of technology startups and ...

and

Industry Canada Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED; french: Innovation, Sciences et Développement économique Canada; french: ISDE, label=none)''Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal ...

, non-profit educational centres such as TELUS World of Science (formerly Science World), worldwide technology organizations such as the

Society for Technical Communication The Society for Technical Communication (STC) is a professional association dedicated to the advancement of the theory and practice of technical communication with more than 4,500 members in the United States, Canada, and the world. The society pu ...

, and professional services firms that serve the technology industry such as

PricewaterhouseCoopers PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounti ...

. In addition, BC Tech membership includes universities and university offices such as the

British Columbia Institute of Technology The British Columbia Institute of Technology (also referred to as BCIT), is a public polytechnic institute in Burnaby, British Columbia. The technical institute has five campuses located in the Metro Vancouver region, with its main campus in B ...

, the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thr ...

University-Industry Liaison Office,

Douglas College Douglas College is the largest public degree-granting college institution in British Columbia, Canada. Close to 17,000 credit students, 8,500 continuing education students and 4,210 international students are enrolled here. Douglas College of ...

, and the

Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design Emily Carr University of Art + Design (abbreviated as ECU) is a public art university located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The university's campus is located within the Great Northern Way Campus in Strathcona. The university is a co ...

.Membership Directory.
, BCTIA.org. Retrieved on 2008-11-01.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.wearebctech.com/ Trade associations based in British Columbia Technology trade associations Economy of British Columbia