What Makes Vancouver a Desirable Place for Technology?
Almost every week, a new report comes out that ranks Vancouver at the top of the best places to live or be vegan or retire happily.
At Signature Recruiting, we also believe VanCity is one of the world’s best places for the technology sector thanks to these three qualities:
1) World-Class Workforce
From scrappy start-ups to industry leaders, companies tap into a deep and international pool of tech talent in Vancouver. According to the Vancouver Economic Commission, over 75,000 technology professionals and almost 10,000 businesses in the technology field call Vancouver home.
A steady stream of educated newcomers blends with homegrown talent bearing degrees and certifications from the area’s educational institutions such as University of British Columbia (UBC), British Columbia Institute of Technology and Simon Fraser University.
In fact, UBC recently was ranked 24th by QS World University Rankings on its list of the best computer science schools in the entire world.
The blend of different nationalities in Vancouver’s tech community fosters global-minded perspectives and relationships that let companies from Burnaby to Yaletown sell their products and services around the world.
2) Favorable Business Environment
Vancouver is not San Francisco nor Toronto, and that’s a good thing.
Vancouver’s smaller population and geographic size make collaboration possible for different-sized companies. Professional networking, the oil that keeps a city’s economic engine running, is also active among tech industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and founders. Many tech workers easily connect with peers and potential employers.
Also, government, private companies, and educational institutions more readily work together. They provide resources for tech companies at all stages of development, from the incubation stage to established tech giant.
Vancouver helps keep the costs of doing business low with dedicated tax incentives, affordable health care for employers, and favorable taxes for companies and individuals. Tech companies also tap into available business infrastructures such as specialized facilities and equipment.
Vancouver’s largest airport, YVR, links Vancouver’s tech community with major and emerging hubs across North America and Asia.
3) Easy Livin’
Vancouver’s famed quality of life attracts and retains quality talent need by tech companies. Employees are happier, more productive, and take fewer sick days when physically healthy, and Vancouver makes an active lifestyle easy.
Vancouver offers a walkable and bike-friendly design throughout neighborhoods along with a public transportation system of buses, trains, and ferries. Multiple car-sharing programs and new bike-sharing service have made getting around the city easier and more cost-efficient.
The abundant transportation options additionally let tech professionals consider employment and home options throughout the greater Vancouver area, not just the city center.
The city boasts easy access to the outdoors with neighborhood parks, the Seawall, Stanley Park, and beaches all along Burrard Inlet, not to mention countless green spaces. Nearby mountains attract hikers and campers in the summer, while skiers and snowshoers visit in the winter (and fall and spring too!).
Need more reasons to relocate to Vancouver? Contact us to discuss how Vancouver can be your tech destination.
Written by: Rachel Shen
