NB Talks ICT
FREDERICTON – The New Brunswick government hosted an Opportunities Summit Tuesday in Fredericton for those involved in the information and communications technology sector. A group of stakeholders from around the province were invited to share ideas for fostering growth in the industry.
“Supporting growth in this sector and creating an innovative climate are important parts of our plan to create jobs and opportunities in our communities,” said Premier Brian Gallant, who is also responsible for the province’s innovation file. “Working with stakeholders, we are going to create a strong eco-system for innovation in New Brunswick which will help create growth.”
The province says the ICT sector employs more than 7,000 New Brunswickers, with an additional 5,000 in information technology jobs in other sectors of the economy. The industry contributes more than $95 million to the provincial GDP annually.
Recently, the provincial government announced a partnership with the private sector to create a digital lab project. This partnership will provide a platform to foster innovation by bringing together expertise from the public and private sector.
“This is an opportunity for us to create jobs while becoming a truly digital province which will allow us to accelerate job growth and investment in the information and communications technology sector while lowering costs to taxpayers,” said Gallant.
The summit was just one in a series being held around the province to identify new prospects for creating jobs and economic growth. The opportunities identified during the summits will be reviewed for development as part of an economic action plan for the province.