International Trade committee  Absolutely, because it's a coalescing point. First, it's for multinationals to actually get a glimpse. It's much easier when you have a hub. You can actually take them around to the companies fairly easily, in terms of the things that they might be interested in. Second, it provides an education foundation, where we can actually help with their ability to understand what it means to be in export markets, how to grow something competitive globally.

International Trade committee  I think the manufacturing sector in technology has been pretty static over the last ten years. I see the opportunity for us in the export market is really more around services in software and soft goods. I think there is no doubt that it will help to spur on more competitiveness in our manufacturing sector, but I think the nature of our industry sector is much more geared towards soft goods.

International Trade committee  Not at all. I think, if anything, it affords us the opportunity to build scale. Scale is what matters to be competitive in the tech sector. It's an area that we've taken advantage of in the U.S., but as Bruce has stated eloquently it's by diversifying the markets with equivalent scale that we grow better companies.

International Trade committee  First of all I want to commend Jeff Keen and our colleagues at Accelerate Okanagan for the terrific sort of environment that they create there. I think it's an education process that as associations we need to undertake in conjunction with government. Within our spectre, the obvious place for companies to go is the U.S. and the European agreement allows us to offer up new opportunities.

International Trade committee  The vast majority of our purview is probably workers who go into the U.S. There's probably been much more feedback on that. If anything, the issues around that have been around border thickening and more—

International Trade committee  Here in B.C., we're probably the poster child for the labour shortage in the tech sector. Our estimate is that we're already at full employment, and the labour shortage issue around that has been exacerbated over the last six to twelve months. You know, we actually look at it the other way—

International Trade committee  When it comes to talent and the correlation to export, I think there are two sides to this coin. One is that the ability to access foreign markets in the services area is by rights the ability for companies here to have workers we can send abroad to do the work that's necessary for things like government procurement contracts or others overseas.

International Trade committee  Let me just make sure I understand your question, if I may. Are you talking about people who are doing temporary jobs in other markets?

International Trade committee  Yes.

International Trade committee  Yes, of course. Also, CETA will improve labour and mobility. For us, I think the big component is providing the provisions that are necessary to have an increased talent pool. Third, it will open access to government procurement, which is particularly important for clean-tech companies and a number of our ICT companies that are in that space, and last is increasing investment in capital flows.

International Trade committee  One of the aspects we identified was in fact that of addressing the issues around talent. That may speak to my colleague Jim Maynard's comments around expertise for export markets. There are a few things that I think are necessary. One is to provide the kinds of support vehicles, through export agencies like EDC and others, that provide that kind of baseline, and also to work in cooperation with organizations like Wavefront, non-profit organizations that specialize in particular sector areas and that lead the entourage, if you will, or the opening of markets in very focused ways.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good morning. My name is Bill Tam, and I have the honour and privilege of serving as the president and CEO of the BC Technology Industry Association. I'm pleased to make the presentation today to the committee. Perhaps I can start with a little bit of background on the technology industry in British Columbia.