With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1254353
In B.C., tech companies are pivoting, collabo- rating, and innovating to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. While most tech organizations are in the Lower Mainland, our province's COVID-19 relief efforts have received a significant boost from all regional tech communities, most notably on Vancouver Island. Victoria's tech sector, which accounts for $5.22B in economic impact, represents one of the country's fastest growing tech hubs. Since the pandemic began, some of the city's top tech com- panies have quickly mobilized to provide direct support to hospitals, governments, and Canadians across the country. StarFish Medical, Canada's largest medical- device design company, is working with the federal government to manufacture 30,000 ventila- tors to curb expected shortages. Fellow Victoria medtech standout, Telmediq, is leveraging its extensive North American reach to give healthcare systems complimentary access to software that provides distance support for COVID-19 patients and families. One of Victoria oldest tech firms, ImmunoPrecise Antibodies, is working with the World Health Organization to develop coronavirus vaccines. Dan Gunn, CEO of Innovate BC-funded VIATEC, notes that the Victoria tech sector has come together to help their peers navigate the changing landscape. "While our community has been apart physi- cally, we have never seen it come together more in spirit," says Gunn. "A sense of community is always important, but during a crisis the value of coming together is even more tangible and appreciated." With the Victoria tech community providing national support, Innovation Island Technology Association (IITA) – another Innovate BC funded accelerator – is focusing efforts on helping local business communities through this pandemic. IITA supports island-based businesses located outside of Victoria. Local SMEs are the economic heartbeat in rural areas, and IITA is leading the charge to ensure these businesses have access to the resources and support they need to revamp their operations or simply stay afloat. IITA's newest initiative, the Digital Economic Rapid Response Recovery Program (DER3), pro- vides one-to-one business and technical expertise for companies that have to pivot their business models. "COVID-19 has brought about a forced shift in how many of us do business," says IITA Executive Director, Graham Truax. "DER3 is here to support these transitions for businesses in any sector." Since the program's launch in mid-April, hun- dreds of businesses from across Vancouver Island have leveraged the DER3 as they try do in months what their online counterparts have done over years. Despite the uphill climb, Truax believes local entrepreneurs will pull through. "I'm excited about the level of dedication and creativity that the business community has shown in weathering this crisis," he says. "Entrepreneurs will fill any void, and when the new normal settles into place, we can be certain that many hybrid physical and digital business models will be open for business." ■ Vancouver Island Tech Sectors Support Provincial Fight Against COVID-19 TECH ISLAND C R E AT E D BY BCBusiness I N PA RT N E RS H I P W IT H INNOVATE BC