It's important to understand that Atlantic Canada is mainly a rural region. It depends greatly on SMEs to grow its economy. Because of globalization, global competition puts pressure on our businesses. In fact, foreign businesses offer solutions at very low cost. Therefore, it's difficult for manufacturers, especially, and businesses in the resources industry to be competitive in such an environment. Prices are another challenge. The Atlantic region needs to focus on work to improve its productivity and competitiveness.
I would add that, in addition to the challenges I mentioned, Atlantic Canada also has an aging population. We have to get ready to deal with the new conditions better. Innovation will certainly be the key to success for us. We also need to take care of marketing and improving processes within businesses. Skills development will be extremely important to prepare our businesses to face the challenges. Market diversification is also very important.