Why tech companies are connecting between the UK & Vancouver

There's something special happening between Vancouver's tech sector and the UK tech sector - and it looks like it's about to get even better. Here's why.

Both places have seen huge tech growth in the last three years: Vancouver has topped the North American charts for growth in tech jobs?ever since the pandemic, while in 2022 the UK became only the third nation worldwide to achieve a US$1 trillion tech sector valuation. Both have had a spate of new tech unicorns (private companies valued at over $1 billion)?over the last decade: 144 in the UK and 14?in British Columbia.?

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I suppose I would say this - but both places are benefitting from enlightened Government policy. Vancouver has powerful tech cheerleaders in the forms of Mayor Ken Sim, FCPA, FCA , Innovation Minister Brenda Bailey and (recently moved on, much missed already) Innovation Commissioner Gerri Sinclair ; the UK has its own in the form of Mayor Sadiq Khan, Science & Tech Secretary Rt Hon Michelle Donelan (recently in Toronto to sign the latest UK-Canada tech collaboration agreement) and Investment Minister Lord Dominic Johnson . The UK and Canada share a similar pro-innovation attitude towards tech regulation, exemplified by our approach to AI. This is guided by four principles agreed at the first ever AI Safety Summit held in the UK last year: open, responsible, secure, and resilient. Both Governments are also proactively pursuing the technologies that we think will shape the future,?including through research, infrastructure and skills programmes running into the billions of dollars.?

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As a British diplomat in Vancouver, what I find most exciting is what this all means for the connections between the two places.?

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"Tech" is a pretty broad term. It covers many different things: generative AI and its uses, self-driving cars, new financial and medical services, special effects, quantum computing - the list goes on. What tech businesses have in common is that they're innovating to find new ways for people to interact with technology; they rely on finding talented, technically-minded people at the top of their game; and they can reach global customer bases and investment sources to scale their businesses.?

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All three factors - innovation, talent, and scalability - benefit hugely from international connections. Building those connections is a clear win-win for everyone. Whether exchanging ideas between founders, increasing talent mobility, or partnering to access each other's markets and investors, tech businesses thrive from being connected across borders. The UK, in particular, offers an obvious point of connection for Vancouver: shared language, the largest tech sector in Europe, a pro-investment attitude, and very similar regulatory approaches. London has always been a global tech powerhouse. But since 2023 the UK also offers something new and unique: under the Windsor Framework, businesses in Northern Ireland can access both the EU and UK markets. Belfast was already a popular source of developer talent for tech businesses looking for a European foothold. It's now become Europe's leading FDI destination for new software development and was named one of the top 15 Digital Economies of the future.

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Connections between Vancouver and the UK look set to grow further very soon:

1. This week, INNOVATEwest is bringing together 3,000+ participants in Vancouver, including Penny Harwood from London & Partners, Michael Barton of Invest Northern Ireland, and Andrea Morgan from the UK's Department for Business and Trade. If you're a BC tech business thinking about going global, this is a great moment to connect.
2. In June, London Tech Week will gather more than 45,000 attendees to accelerate the cycle of tech innovation, including several Canadian (and Vancouver!) delegations. Themes will include AI, the future of Security and Data, talent, green innovation, data-driven healthcare, and positive social impact through tech.?

The UK's also turning to Vancouver. Last week, British AI pioneer Wayve announced a new Vancouver office, joining Darktrace , Global Relay , Microsoft, Amazon, and others who've decided that footprints in both places will drive their growth. And last month, Andrea Morgan and Julian D. led a mission of Canadian AI businesses including TELUS , Glüxkind , and TTT Studios to London, Edinburgh, and Cambridge to see the ecosystem for themselves and find new partners.

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It's not all rosy. Capital is harder to find these days than it was two years ago. Talent availability has always been a limiting factor. These challenges are common to both places, too, and connections make them easier to tackle. The UK has Europe's deepest capital markets, most active VC funds and a tech workforce more than 2 million strong, complementing Vancouver's ready access to the West Coast VC ecosystem and high quality of life that draws and retains talent. As ever, we are stronger together.?

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Maybe we'll see you at London Tech Week? Or maybe we can help you get started with your UK expansion straight away?