Bengaluru Tech Summit begins tomorrow; Canada the ‘Global Innovation Alliance Partner’

New Delhi, Nov 17 (HS): Canada will be participating at the Bengaluru Tech Summit for the first time as a Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) partner. The expo will be held at Bengaluru Palace, Jayamahal Road, Bengaluru from Monday (November 18-20).

Canadian regional partners from across the country will share cost effective, innovative solutions, investment opportunities and local success stories with the Indian tech firms. Along with these partners, the Government of Canada’s Trade Commissioners will be available to help Indian firms connect with Canada’s innovation ecosystem through partnerships and investment.

These representatives will be present at the Canada Pavilion in the Main Hall to interact with visitors and potential business clients. Visitors can also discover Canada using Virtual Reality at the Canada Pavilion.

Canadian technology law expert, Dr. Michael Geist, will deliver the Keynote Address for the Bengaluru Tech Summit entitled “Global Innovation and Impact: Grappling with AI Law and Policy Challenges”.

Canadian participants at the Bengaluru Tech Summit are as follows:

Dr. Michael Geist, Ottawa: Law professor at University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law. Award-winning author and thought leader on technology law issues.

Launch Pad Academy, Vancouver: Early-stage tech incubator and designated organization with Canada’s Start-Up Visa Program. Since 2012, incubated over 700 companies and aims to train 100,000 entrepreneurs by 2025.

Innovation Saskatchewan, Saskatoon: Provincial agency of Government of Saskatchewan to support commercialization of new technologies.

Toronto Global, Toronto: Non-profit investment attraction agency supporting expansion of foreign-owned business to the Toronto Region – 3rd largest technology cluster in North America.

Invest in Canada, Ottawa: Canada’s global investment attraction and promotion agency, bringing together public and private partners to accelerate business expansion into Canada.

ResDevTax Consultants, Toronto: Specializing in engineering and science, ResDev prepares SR&ED (Scientific Research and Experimental Development) submissions for its clients.

Canada was the world’s first country to develop a national AI Strategy. The Government of Canada is now investing up to $950 million CAD (Rs 5120 Cr) to be matched by the private sector in Artificial Intelligence, along with Ocean Tech, Advanced Manufacturing, Protein Industries and Digital Technology, to develop five Innovation Superclusters that represent three-quarters of the Canadian economy.

Consul General Ms. Nicole Girard says “Canada is a global innovation leader in AI, Fintech, and Cybersecurity, to name just a few. These are areas for greater collaboration we’d like to develop between Canada and India’s innovation capital, Bengaluru.”

Global tech giants and start-ups know the value of connecting with Canada’s innovation ecosystems and establishing a local presence.  Bucking global trends, Canada is seeing record inflows of foreign investment, up from $9.16 billion to $41.89 billion in the last four years.

Increasingly, Indian firms see Canada as an ideal location to base their operations in North American and access global markets.  Canada has the tech talent companies need to succeed globally. Over 55% of Canadians have post-secondary education, making its workforce the most skilled in the world.

In addition to its high-quality universities and research institutes, Canada’s open immigration policies are attracting a talented, multicultural workforce. Canada’s ‘Global Skills Strategy’ makes it easier for Indian firms to secure tech talent from other countries. Its ‘Start-Up Visa Program’ is the world’s first that helps foreign entrepreneurs scale up their business and provides a pathway to immigration.

Canada remains open and welcoming, ranked 1 by OECD as most attractive country for entrepreneurs and tech workers. India already contributes much to Canada’s multicultural society; almost 4% of its population (1.7 million) have Indian heritage. India is also the top source country of international students for Canada (172,000 in 2018). Foreign student graduates automatically receive a 3-year working visa, creating another unique tech talent pool for Indian firms.

The Government of Canada has a team of over 50 Trade Commissioners in eight offices across India to help Indian firms connect with Canada’s innovation ecosystem through partnerships and investment.