When B.C. Premier David Eby shook up his cabinet earlier this month, Brenda Bailey’s elevation to minister of jobs, economic development and innovation was among the notable appointments.

Bailey, previously parliamentary secretary for technology and innovation, called it her “dream portfolio.” She explained to The Logic what issues she plans to tackle first:

Who is she? First elected in 2020, Bailey comes from a tech background. She co-founded Silicon Sisters Interactive, a video-game maker focused on women players, and later served as executive director of DigiBC, an industry association for the province’s interactive and digital media sectors. 

Bailey said that experience has helped her understand tech’s power as an economic driver. She also knows the challenges of a tough economic environment, such as retaining talent in a competitive job market. “I intend to not lose track of that, and use it as part of the fire in my belly to ensure that we’re doing really good work [to] ensure that our businesses are supported,” she said.

IP strategy: One such support is a much-anticipated intellectual property strategy—for which an update was notably missing in B.C.’s February 2022 economic recovery plan. “IP can have a huge impact, if well protected, on the bottom line,” she said. The strategy, for which she led consultations, will have to address a range of needs. But “first and foremost,” she said, educational resources are needed. She expects the strategy to roll out either this spring or fall.

In the metaverse: In addition to gaming, Bailey is well versed in augmented and virtual reality. “I know that some folks still see metaverse as being an ethereal, unimaginable space,” she said. “I happen to be someone who uses my VR headset with some regularity.” (She plays Pistol Whip, made by a studio on Vancouver Island.) She’s happy to see the work being done by the Frontier Collective, a group formed earlier this year to raise the profile of metaverse technologies in the province, and has already scheduled a meeting with its leader, Dan Burgar, who wants to create a 100,000-square-foot innovation hub in Vancouver.

What else is drawing her attention: Bailey acknowledged she’s still “coming up to speed on” some parts of her portfolio. But she’s excited about the province’s potential in biotech and cleantech, both a focus of the government for some time. Her other priorities include ensuring tech jobs are available to people historically underrepresented in the sector, and securing more federal funding for the province.

A challenging time: Mass layoffs in the sector are “something we need to keep an eye on,” Bailey said, even if many of those let go have found new jobs. There’s also a pullback on venture capital, and she points to a $500-million strategic investment fund as part of the government’s work to address this. Still, Bailey argues B.C. has done well in weathering the storm. “While we do have headwinds for sure,” she said, “I’m very hopeful because of the position our economy is currently in.”

Correction: This article has been updated to fix a typo. The Frontier Collective plans to create a 100,000-square-foot innovation hub in Vancouver.