Background
As the federal regional economic department for Western Canada, Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) has a mandate to promote the development and diversification of the economy of the West (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba), and to advance the interests of Western Canada in national economic policy, program and project development and implementation. WD works to improve the long-term economic competitiveness of the West and the quality of life of its citizens by supporting a wide range of initiatives targeting inter-related project activities – business development and innovation, and community economic growth. These programs and services are supported by WD’s policy, advocacy and coordination, and internal services activities.
WD’s headquarters office is located in Edmonton, with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Ottawa.
WD is mandated [1] to support the Government of Canada’s policies and programs related to industrial benefits [2] . WD’s objective under this priority area is to leverage opportunities related to major capital projects undertaken by the Government of Canada in relation to defence and security to ensure that western Canadian industry is positioned to benefit from economic development and that this development is diversified to ensure a more resilient economy. The priority aligns with the Department’s overall objective to enhance economic growth in western Canada.
Objective
The objective of this environmental scan is to identify industry, post-secondary institutions, and public research institutions across western Canada whose capabilities are relevant to the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy. This environmental scan will better enable WD to connect defence prime contractors to the capabilities, training and research opportunities that exist in western Canada.
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[1] Western Economic Diversification Act RSC 1985, s 5(2)(a) https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/W-6.8/
[2] Industrial benefits are defined and scoped under the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy. http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/086.nsf/eng/h_00032.html
