What we’re watching for in B.C. this fall

By Tessa Seager, CCI B.C.’s Director of Government Affairs

This fall, B.C. politics will be marked by one overarching event: Premier Horgan’s retirement. And, with just six weeks of session until the hand-off, there’s not too much time left for the Premier to finish solidifying his legacy while setting his successor up for success. Despite this transitional nature, we still expect a busy fall and winter on the innovation front. Here are three things we’re working on at CCI over the coming months:

1. New Premier, New Cabinet, New Mandate Letters

The B.C. N.D.P. leadership race is now well underway, with two candidates officially vying for the title of Premier of British Columbia, and a third having declared her intention to run. While there remains some doubt as to the eligibility status of certain candidates, should the race remain a contested event, results will be announced December 3rd. The leadership race is an opportunity for candidates to explain how they will continue to build wealth and prosperity in the province, and, to that end, we’ve already engaged with the leadership hopefuls to explain the policy frameworks needed to succeed in the new 21st century data-driven economy.

Once sworn in, and as a first order of business, the new Premier (who will be in the rather unique — and enviable! — position of being handed a majority mandate until October 2024) will perform a Cabinet shuffle and issue new mandate letters. We’ll be keeping a particularly close eye on what happens at Jobs, Economic Recovery, and Innovation, Citizens’ Services, and Advanced Education and Skills Training to make sure key priorities such as privacy modernization, procurement reform, and talent creation remain top of mind.

2. InBC Launch

This fall, InBC, the province’s new $500 million strategic investment fund, will begin investing in venture capital funds. Shortly thereafter, the Fund will expand to also making direct investments in companies. To mark the occasion, CCI will be co-hosting an event with InBC on November 1st to introduce the Fund, its management team, its investment parameters, and its application process to the tech ecosystem. If you’d like to join, please email Sara Psenicka at spsenicka@canadianinnovators.org.

In a time of tightening economic conditions, the InBC Fund can present a valuable source of non-dilutive capital — particularly for B.C. ventures that can help the Fund meet its triple bottom line mandate of achieving social, economic, and environmental returns for the people of British Columbia.

3. IP Strategy

After a summer of broad consultations with industry stakeholders, government is now building out what is being referred to as “phase one” of the province’s intellectual property strategy. Throughout the fall, CCI will continue to engage on the file to help finalize crucial aspects of the strategy, such as education and literacy, interprovincial alignment, and the infusion of I.P. considerations into existing programs and entities.

While the development of “phase one” of the strategy is welcomed, the reality is that the introduction of a provincial intellectual property strategy is long overdue. To truly take advantage of the intangible economy, B.C. needs a comprehensive strategy that puts intellectual property at the forefront of government action — and we’ll continue to advocate for that until we get it done.

Tessa Seager is CCI’s director of government affairs in B.C. You can contact her at tseager@canadianinnovators.org. While she’s on leave from October 3-February 3, please contact Dana O’Born, CCI’s Vice President, Strategy and Advocacy, at doborn@canadianinnovators.org.