Western Economic Diversification receives $25-million boost

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) has received an additional $25 million over five years to boost its support of western Canadian-based tech firms seeking to increase their innovation capacity and technology adoption. The funding was announced by Navdeep Bains, minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development with responsibility for WD on August 3 in Burnaby BC. In addition to supporting tech firms, WD will also nominate 50 firms to participate in programs stemming from the new Innovation & Skills Plan, invest $100 million annually in clean tech and support up to 250 Indigenous projects. Western Canada accounted for 38% of Canada’s real economic output in 2015.