New Brunswick Information Technology Council report

The following is an excerpt from the New Brunswick Information Technology Council news release from October 25th.

The New Brunswick Information Technology Council released its new plain-speaking report to Premier David Alward that outlines needed solutions required for the province’s technology sector.

The report, entitled Growing the ICT Sector and written on behalf of the Premier’s Advisory Council on Technology, reiterates that the private sector and government must “be in lock step” if New Brunswick is to get back on the global technology map.

“The ICT sector is where the growth is and New Brunswick has incredible opportunities before it,” says NBITC Chairman Geoff Flood. “New Brunswick as an economy is not leveraging ICT to its fullest, but paradoxically this is fundamentally a great opportunity.”

Mr. Flood adds that New Brunswick has seen fantastic recent successes such as Radian6 and Q1 Labs. “We know it can be done, and government and business are together prepared to lift the entire New Brunswick ICT sector,” he says.

Over the past decade, New Brunswick’s Information Communication Technology sector has slipped and is now 20 per cent smaller than the Canadian average (3.8 per cent of GDP vs. 4.9 per cent), according to the report.

“If New Brunswick simply reaches the Canadian average for ICT as a percentage of our GDP, $256 million new dollars will be generated each year for the economy and thousands of new jobs,” says Larry Sampson, NBITC’s Chief Executive Officer. “As it has done – and is doing – for economies around the world, ICT increases employment, creates personal and corporate wealth, grows government revenues, improves productivity and the quality of life for every citizen.”

To view a copy of the full news release click here and to view a copy of the Report click here.