The issue of patient capital is really important. The issue of providing long-term support for a lot of these capital-intensive manufacturing initiatives is critical. That's an area we're definitely looking at. We're working very closely with BDC. I believe they can do a better job in that area.
I know you've highlighted that challenge to me in numerous conversations. I understand your concern, and I relayed that to the team there as well. I also believe that the clean tech sector, for example, is very similar in nature. It requires a lot of capital and long-term patient assistance and support. We're looking at measures to provide that, because we need to be able to see those companies grow and succeed, and there is a cash crunch.
We're also focusing on high-growth firms. You're saying the challenges are with the medium-sized companies, and I'm saying that even our larger companies are having difficulty growing at times. If you look at all the companies we have, the high-growth firms, the ones that have 20% year-over-year growth for three years in a row, only about 3.5% have that kind of growth potential.
We need the right data to identify those companies. Then we need to look at all the different tools we have to be able to help them grow and succeed, from government procurement to patient capital financing, for example; in looking with my colleague the Minister of International Trade at how we can help them to brand internationally with the new investment agency we put forward.
We're focused on this, not just on medium-sized companies. In particular, we want to target any company that has enormous growth potential—small, medium, or large—to help it succeed and grow.