VANCOUVER -- Premier Christy Clark says that as the countries around the world are putting up barriers to trade and immigration, British Columbia needs to turn outward in order to grow the province's burgeoning technology sector.

Clark is calling on the federal government to lower the barriers to bringing in immigrants with the high-tech skills who can contribute to B.C.'s economy.

That includes offering citizenship to any foreign national who earns a PhD from a Canadian university.

Clark made the comments while delivering a keynote address at the second annual .BCTECH Summit in Vancouver.

She also announced a plan to expand a provincial tax credit for augmented and virtual reality work that is currently only available to the entertainment industry.