B.C.香蕉视频直播� s new jobs, trade and technology minister, Bruce Ralston, came to Kelowna Friday to 香蕉视频直播渢ake the temperature香蕉视频直播� of the technology sector in the Okanagan.

And what he found was a sector that is healthy and growing.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 pretty inspiring from what I saw,香蕉视频直播� said Ralston after meeting with a number of Accelerate Okanagan executives and discussing industry-related issues with tech company representatives in a round-table meeting.

The entire tech industry in the valley now contributes an estimated $1.3 billion to the Okanagan香蕉视频直播檚 economy, including direct revenues of $1.02 billion generated by the the 633 technology companies in the region. Those companies employed 7,600 in 2015, according to a report done last year by Accelerate Okanagan.

Overall, B.C. now has an estimated 100,000 tech sector jobs.

Related: Kelowna flourishing thanks to tech boom

Ralston said his job as minister is to work with the industry to help it grow, and he said while he heard optimism in his meetings in Kelowna Friday, he also heard about some of the challenges local companies face.

香蕉视频直播淭here were the traditional challenges of (finding) talent, trade and markets,香蕉视频直播� he said, adding he was happy to reach out to the industry to hear what香蕉视频直播檚 working and what isn香蕉视频直播檛.

Ralston said while the Lower Mainland has built an international reputation for it香蕉视频直播檚 tech sector香蕉视频直播攅specially in the area of computer gaming香蕉视频直播攖he sector is not just confined to the south-east corner of this province.

He said in addition to the Okanagan, there are growing tech sectors in Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island, as well as Kamloops and Prince George in the Interior. Kamloops was recently recognized as a top city for start-ups and Prince George has an accelerator similar to Accelerate Okanagan up and running.

And Ralston said it is not just the tech sector itself that is benefiting from the growth of the industry in B.C. Many of the province香蕉视频直播檚 traditional, resource-based industries are also benefiting, as innovative advances help them adapt to new realities.

While in Kelowna, Ralson also toured the new Innovation Centre downtown and visited the UBC Okanagan campus.

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