Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, businesses in British Columbia continue to grow and thrive. The BC Export Awards program recognizes the innovative and unique contributions of registered export companies in British Columbia. Awards are given in the categories of Emerging Exporter, Manufactured Products, Professional Services, Advancing Technology & Innovation and Exporter of the Year. This year, nominees and award winners exemplify some of the best B.C. has to offer and are as follows: Emerging ExporterBig Mountain Foods is currently exporting nine plant-based products into the USA, including veggie patties and saus... continue reading

Food safety, traceability and sustainability practices are the cornerstones of British Columbia’s (B.C.) seafood sector and have earned the province an international reputation for safe, sustainable and high-quality seafood products. British Columbia has recognized the value of its abundant natural seafood resources for a long time, with organizations including the BC Seafood Alliance, which has been advocating for a profitable and sustainable seafood industry since 1999. Most recently, ThisFish Inc. has emerged on the scene to provide a user-friendly, data-driven solution to reduce costs and improve efficien... continue reading

In the 1980s, Carl Sagan, a celebrated astronomer and astrophysicist, invited television viewers aboard his Spaceship of the Imagination, where he piloted them across the universe and to galaxies far away. Cosmos: A Personal Journey, his award-winning series, fascinated television viewers with powerful and realistic visualizations and vivid and emotional tales of human trials and adventures. Sagan was a great storyteller, but he also seemed to understand how he could use analog television to enhance the way people learned and made complex science and physics engaging and relatable. We could argue that this thirteen-part televisio... continue reading

The world held its breath collectively and saw a small spark of hope when Pfizer and BioNTech announced their vaccine was ready to be distributed amid a second wave of COVID-19. What most people are unaware of is that a B.C. company had a critical role in creating this spark of hope. Acuitas, a Vancouver-based company, developed the technology that allows the vaccine’s messenger RNA (mRNA) to work. The mRNA tells the body to create a protein that exists on the surface of the COVID-19 virus, which teaches our immune system that it is foreign and should be fought against. However, mRNA cannot enter cells without assistance, ... continue reading

Japan’s interest in outside technologies, new ideas and foreign startups has never been greater. It is the world’s third-largest economy and is home to hundreds of multinational enterprises. Japan is fully embracing digital transformation and open innovation. Now is the right time for British Columbia technology companies seeking large corporate clients, strategic partnerships or funding in the Japanese market.   The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) at the Embassy of Canada to Japan is pleased to announce the Tokyo Digital Technology - Canadian Technology Accelerator Program (CTA@JP). This targete... continue reading

British Columbia’s cozy spot next to the ocean equates to a mild climate with fertile grounds. This has been the driving force that has created a diverse agriculture and food sector, with a plethora of seafood species, hundreds of farm, fish and food products and a world-renowned wine industry. COVID-19 has disrupted the supply chains and business plans of many agri-businesses in recent months. Federal, provincial and municipal governments, working with industry associations, are putting in strong efforts is to assist affected businesses and to help these companies adapt to business models that will help them thrive in the ... continue reading

As businesses transition to remote work and digital operations, the high-tech industry has become indispensable. Platforms to support remote work activities, e-commerce, virtual events and other digital solutions are flourishing. According to the 2020 CBRE North America Tech-30 report, Vancouver ranks first in North America for high-tech software job growth, leading the 30 top tech markets in the U.S. and Canada. Compared to other high-tech hubs, Vancouver has moderate office rents and a growing industry labour pool that make it the third-best market in North America for resiliency and growth. Other tech-growth cities in the prov... continue reading

New year, new technology, new format, the same sterling opportunity for networking, engagement and innovation. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will be ringing in the New Year with a virtual event running January 11th-14,th to showcase  the latest and greatest gadgets and software. The year 2020 saw historic levels of necessity and invention, and CES 2021 will have it all on display. Several companies from British Columbia will be in attendance as part of the TechWest delegation.   CES is an industry convention centred around tech companies, start-ups, suppliers, purchasers, and other consumer electronic businesses... continue reading

British Columbia’s transportation sector was hustling and bustling before the pandemic, as our province is situated at the commercial crossroads of Asia-Pacific and North America. COVID-19 set off a domino-effect of challenges from personal health to the viability of industry. The resilience and adaptability of British Columbians have been tested as we adapt to the new normal. Companies and industry associations quickly jumped on their feet to create new opportunities to face this behemoth challenge. While still reeling from the impact, the transportation industry has found flexibility and resilience contributing to sustain... continue reading

Even in uncertain times, the people and companies that redefine the global tech industry are forging ahead. For three days in December, seven British Columbia (B.C.) technology companies will come together virtually for the world’s largest tech conference. The annual Web Summit, typically hosted in Portugal, has gone virtual, allowing more than 100,000 attendees and 2,500 start-ups from 150 countries to participate. Seven B.C. companies will join them for trade and investment opportunities, masterclasses, innovative roundtable events, networking with web giants and experts from every industry and lead generation. Conf... continue reading