Some might criticize Vancouver’s recent bid to land Amazon HQ2, but I’m not one of them. We shouldn’t be disillusioned that Amazon’s decision seems to be rapidly narrowing in favour of northeast U.S. cities, frustrating Vancouver’s already slender chances. That said, our city mounted a worthy effort and can take some valuable learning away from that, win or lose.
With big ambitions like this, it’s all about persistence. Here’s an idea for what we should do next – based on a strength we already have.
Hundreds of small and medium-sized B.C. companies, often in partnership with larger players, are today quietly making our province a global leader in high tech, responsible forestry, mining and oil and gas. These homegrown firms are meeting a local need for innovation and then exporting their hard-won expertise to all corners of the globe as we shift to a more diversified, green resource economy. They are powerful drivers of sustainability, innovation and competitiveness.
You’ll find these small and medium-sized companies in value-added fields like filtration, satellites, GPS, digital analysis and simulation. They are doing things like radically reducing methane emission from natural gas wells, but also helping Vietnam grapple with the historical legacy of Agent Orange.
The oft-heard view that B.C.’s traditional natural resource economy is approaching its end of life, superseded by the rise of a “new economy” based on technology and innovation, is a dogma not supported by the facts.
In fact, the resource sector is a critical part of B.C.’s new economy, and is busily driving new technology and innovation.
In a recent series at Resource Works entitled Naturally Resourceful, we confirmed that the resource-linked value chain story is for real. At Hatfield Consultants, for example, president Grant Bruce showed us that not only are companies like his exporting high-tech solutions, they’re also sharing our environmental rules and regulations. He cited Indonesia, which has recently developed an environmental assessment process based on the Canadian model. Out of all the possible approaches it could have adopted, Indonesia chose ours. That’s good for all of us.
Despite these successes, the British Columbia brand for responsible, green resource technology exports is woefully underappreciated at home.
We obviously have work to do. The question is, what work should we do on this front?
Some forward thinkers are envisioning a program that supports emerging B.C. companies by helping them build relationships with larger companies through technology demonstration, investment and project partnerships.
Significant co-ordination, including the use of market intelligence that government is well suited to gather, is one requirement if B.C. is to get to the next level. Those trying to advance the conversation should be supplied with key messages that allow them to effectively communicate about “Brand B.C.,” and these messages must be targeted to relevant audiences.
Piloting and demonstrating technology capabilities in B.C., as well as in target markets around the world, is a way to build relationships with major resource companies and other key influencers. It will also be necessary to refine our understanding of the clusters of B.C. technologies that can access supply chains.
All of that is going to take a co-ordinated effort by levels of government, industry and thought leaders.
The benefits could be enormous.
Consider how the huge Vancouver-based mining and mineral exploration industry could become a centre of excellence in sourcing rechargeable battery inputs for the coming boom in electric vehicles.
Meantime, local innovation is already part of how liquefied natural gas proponents pursuing export deals that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions are positioning themselves for big wins. And it is a factor in Canada’s quest for a carbon-neutral barrel of oil.
Imagine if we invested the same enthusiasm and resources into examining the cross- cutting technology sector as was poured into the recent Amazon bid. We have an opportunity, today, to draw upon our existing strengths in both high tech and resources to create a thriving new sector benefiting people here and around the world. •
Stewart Muir is executive director of the Resource Works Society.
Tickets for the November 29 Naturally Resourceful lunch event are available through Eventbrite. Business in Vancouver readers get a discount with code BV1129.
