By Dan Marshall

Nanaimo Tech Industry continues to grow

Jul 13, 2016 | 9:33 AM

Nanaimo has an opportunity to expand it’s footprint in the tech sector.

Provincial Innovation and Technology Minister Amrik Virk will be in Nanaimo Wednesday to share details of a new $100 million tech fund.

Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce C-E-O Kim Smythe says a lower cost of living and proximity to other large tech centres are strategic advantages for the growing tech industry.

“Nanaimo is British Columbia’s fourth fastest growing tech sector,” said Smythe. “We’re in an attractive position geographically in that we’re so close to other big tech centres, Vancouver and Victoria.  Yet we have very affordable cost of living here, alot of the tech developers are younger people who value quality of life and we certainly offer that.”

Smythe points to the $100 million dollar fund, new tech learning opportunities in the school system, and the work done by innovation island as positives for the tech sector locally.

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“We have people coming out of VIU who will have other places to look for work located here as opposed to losing them to the bigger cities.  The tech sector has been identified in the BC Jobs Plan as a crucial job creator.  We see investment improving and being enhanced by fact of the government putting money in and that money being matched by private industry.”

Minister Virk will be speaking at the Nanaimo Golf and Country Club Wednesday, as part of a luncheon put on by the Chamber and Innovation Island.

The B.C. government announced Tuesday nearly $600,000 towards a study on the labour market needs in the tech sector.