CANADA, June 5 - A B.C. delegation will travel to Europe to promote the province’s expertise in technology to support investment and trade opportunities for businesses in the province, and good-paying jobs for British Columbians.
The best of B.C. technology and agricultural technology will be highlighted on the world stage during three major tech conferences: London Tech Week, GreenTech in Amsterdam and VivaTech in Paris. These events provide a platform to showcase what B.C. has to offer and attract investment, driving sustainable and innovative growth in B.C.
Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, and Rick Glumac, Minister of State for Trade, will be in Europe from June 9 until June 14, 2025.
“Now more than ever, it’s critical that we reach into new markets and promote B.C. as a competitive destination for business across all sectors,” Gibson said. “We will be meeting with investors, key government officials and stakeholders to build connections and showcase our world-class, made-in-B.C. technology.”
In early 2023, the B.C. government introduced the Trade Diversification Strategy to strengthen and expand the province’s trading base. Through this initiative, B.C. is fostering trade and investment opportunities in new markets while growing its presence in established ones, increasing both the number and diversity of B.C. exporters.
Today, the province benefits from a network of more than 50 trade and investment representatives across 14 key markets in North America, Europe and Asia. Given rising global trade tensions, the urgency of these efforts has become more pronounced.
“B.C. is already seeing strong results since the launch of our Trade Diversification Strategy, with exports growing in new and existing markets globally,” Glumac said. “We will be travelling with numerous B.C. companies on this European trade mission to build on our efforts to diversify trade and showcase the incredible innovation coming from B.C.”
The ministers will be meeting with key representatives during three major tech conferences overseas:
- London Tech Week is a collection of events featuring tech innovation, entrepreneurship and talent. The Province will highlight B.C.’s economic priorities and gain perspectives on B.C.-U.K. trade and investment, while connecting with B.C. companies successfully operating in the U.K.
- VivaTech is Europe’s biggest tech and startup event, with companies from more than 25 sectors and more than 2,000 investors and funds. Canada is Country of the Year for 2025 and Scale AI, the Canadian AI Cluster, is organizing a delegation for about 100 Canadian companies, of which 16 are from B.C. In addition, Canada’s Ocean Supercluster and National Research Council are organizing an Ocean Tech mission to France with 11 companies, eight of which are from B.C. As part of that mission, they will be at Vivatech, where a specific focus session on their technologies will be held.
- GreenTech Amsterdam is the premier global trade show for horticulture technology, bringing together more than 13,000 professionals and 530 exhibitors from around the world. The event showcases cutting-edge innovations in areas such as greenhouse automation, robotics, AI, climate control, water and energy solutions, and vertical farming. This is the fourth year that B.C. will participate with a booth at the event.
“Greentech Amsterdam is a prime opportunity to showcase leading companies with made-in-B.C. technologies that advance food production, open doors to global partnerships and drive long-term growth,” said Seychelle Cushing, executive director, B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation. “The B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation is proud to partner with leading agri-businesses, government and academia to showcase B.C.’s leadership in agritech innovation on the world stage.”
The EU meetings build on the work underway on Premier David Eby’s trade mission focused on key markets in Asia, as B.C. elevates and expands its trade efforts for new partnerships in light of the ongoing global trade conflict.
B.C. is the economic engine of the new Canada and innovation is at the heart of this transformation, positioning the province as a global destination for tech talent and investment.
Quick Facts:
- In 2022, the European Union was B.C.’s fifth-largest destination for exports.
- With 20 EU members and seven non-EU members adopting the euro as their official currency, trade and competition is facilitated between businesses in the region while concurrently providing price stability.
- The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement was established in 2017 and facilitates trade between Canada and the European Union.
Learn More:
To learn more about the deputy minister’s recent mission to Hannover Messe in Germany, visit: https://www.britishcolumbia.ca/news-stories/b-c-fuels-innovation-at-hannover-messe-2025/
To read the Trade Diversification Strategy, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/international-investment-and-trade/trade-diversification-strategy
For more about the StrongerBC Economic Plan, visit:
https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/economic-plan/
For more about trade and investment in B.C., visit: www.britishcolumbia.ca
