Invest Vancouver / Key Industries / High-tech

High-tech

The Metro Vancouver region fosters a mindset of exploration and innovation, welcoming top companies and talent to a thriving tech ecosystem.

The Metro Vancouver region is home to a growing cluster of local and multi-national firms in multiple tech industries, including software as a service, cloud and software development, cybersecurity, robotics, aerospace, and semiconductors. With world-class talent and research universities, lower operating costs than competing cities, and a business-friendly environment, this is where tech companies — looking to make an impact — come to scale and succeed.

The crossroads of talent, tech, and transformation

The Metro Vancouver region’s tech workforce is rapidly expanding. Companies are tapping into a diverse talent pool while benefiting from a supportive investment community that fuels growth.

~99,000

workers employed in the tech industry¹

5th

fastest-growing tech talent market in North America, with ~31% growth over five years — outpacing major US tech jurisdictions such as Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Austin, and Boston²

16th

in tech talent among top 50 North American tech jurisdictions, and 3rd in Canada³

$31B+

invested in tech firms headquartered in the Metro Vancouver region from 2018 to 2023

With thriving clusters in software, AI, cybersecurity, semiconductors, and more, the Metro Vancouver region is a powerhouse for innovation.

The region hosts a wide variety of multinational tech firms, including:

High-tech Services	High-tech Goods
Amazon Arista Networks Asana Brex Cisco Systems Fortinet Fujitsu MasterCard Microsoft Salesforce SAP Grammarly Workday	ASCO Industries Ballard Boeing Broadcom cellcentric Intel Molicel (E-One Moli) Samsung Electronics Schneider Electric Teledyne FLIR

The Metro Vancouver region’s ecosystem has helped us establish meaningful partnerships with both local and global players, enabling us to scale and innovate effectively.

Pamela Saunders

Site Director, Microsoft Vancouver

Vancouver not only solved our talent challenge but also provided an active and collaborative ecosystem. It’s at a stage of growth where companies can interact meaningfully, much like the Bay Area in its earlier days.

Apurva Jain

VP of Strategy and Partnerships, Lumotive

We want to have offices in cities that people want to live in and are excited about. People move here and want to stay here forever.

Niranjan Ravichandran

Engineering Manager and Site Lead, Asana⁴

Support programs and incentives

Fueling the region’s growth is a rich ecosystem of funding streams and incentives. Businesses benefit from tax credits for R&D, venture capital programs, and industry-specific grants, making it a cost-effective, innovation-friendly environment where tech firms can grow and excel.

Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED): Provides tax incentives for R&D across all business sizes and sectors.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC): Funds academic and industry collaborations with grants.

Accelerated Investment Incentive: Provides enhanced capital cost allowances for investment in assets like machinery and equipment.

Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP): Delivers financial assistance and advisory services to SMEs developing and commercializing technologies.

InBC Investment Corp: A $500 million fund to support long-term initiatives that generate economic, environmental and social benefits for BC.

Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative:Provides $500,000 to $3 million in repayable contributions for businesses and $500,000 to $5 million in non-repayable contributions for non-profits to support AI development in BC.

Footnotes

1 CBRE, Scoring Tech Talent 2024 (September 4, 2024).

2 CBRE, Scoring Tech Talent 2024 (September 4, 2024).

3 CBRE, Scoring Tech Talent 2024 (September 4, 2024).

4 Asana takes on Vancouver with a new development center.

Learn more

High-tech industry overview

Ready to connect?

Contact Nikola Fischerova, Sector Development Lead, High-tech

Invest Vancouver acknowledges that the region’s residents live, work, and learn on the shared territories of many Indigenous Peoples, including 10 local First Nations: q̓ic̓əy̓(Katzie), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), máthxwi (Matsqui), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), qiqéyt (Qayqayt), Semiahmoo, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), scəw̓aθən məsteyəxʷ (Tsawwassen) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh).

Invest Vancouver respects the diverse and distinct histories, languages, and cultures of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, which collectively enrich our lives and the region.

View Metro Vancouver's translated territorial acknowledgment

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