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Economic Performance:
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Calgary Region Cluster
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Calgary Region
Cluster Portfolio
Information Technology
Calgary's information
technology cluster growth has slightly exceeded the rapid North American
pace over the past decade but did not keep up with the explosive growth
in Seattle and Silicon Valley. However, this is a large cluster employing
an estimated 20,000 in the region, with a strong location quotient of
2.5 or two and half times the North American average.
The majority of cluster
employment is in software and systems design (56% of total employment).
Scientific and Technical Consultants comprise 23%, Information and Data
Processing Services represent 12% and Specialized Design Services 9% of
the clusters producers. Each of these segments is well represented in
the region in terms of better than average location quotients. Rapid growth
in computer systems design is driving cluster expansion. The IT cluster
has good wages and salary increases forecast to be slightly above the
national average of 5.1%. The cluster has experienced growth within each
segment of the cluster since 1998.
For now forecasts
for this cluster are down globally: software, networking, Internet/e-commerce,
computer and hardware manufacturing will be hurt by limits in spending
until 2002. Despite this temporary slowdown the information technology
industry is expected to grow globally at 12% through 2005, with almost
41% of ongoing spending on technical support and systems integration for
an installed base. The U.S. market is expected to continue to be the major
source of demand, growing 50% over the next four years.
The diversity of this
marketplace provides opportunities for large and small firms to compete.
Calgary has good prospects in networking, for example the SuperNet initiative.
In software, companies will continue to grow in serving the oil and gas
marketplace in Canada and abroad. Internet/e-commerce may grow in the
region, leveraging business-to-business (B2B) and Internet exchanges in
energy resources.
Information technology
service businesses will continue to expand serving U.S. markets, leveraging
exchange rate advantages. Provincial research programs, such as iCORE
of the Alberta Science and Research Authority (ASRA), regional technology
institutions, such as ARC and TRLabs, incubator facilities such as Calgary
Technologies Inc. (CTI) and IT associations, such as the Alberta New Media
Association, continue to assist regional company innovation.
Emerging areas include
fields such as telehealth and streaming media for e- learning as well
as a diverse array of firms involved with enterprise e-solutions and 'roomware'
solutions for interactive meetings. Nonetheless, the IT cluster is hit
hard by continual brain drain of technical and professional workforce
to the U.S. Meeting future labour skill needs is a crucial challenge for
enabling growth in this cluster.
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