Agreement underscores need for innovative tech in building connected and resilient region
June 20, 2019 – (Vancouver, B.C. / New Westminster, B.C.) – TransLink and the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) today formalized an agreement allowing local and international organizations to showcase green and digital technologies and services on TransLink assets. The new memorandum of understanding creates a landmark role for TransLink in the VEC’s Technology Deployment Network (TDN).
Founded by the Vancouver Economic Commission, TDN is a membership-based network comprised of major asset owners in Metro Vancouver – including building, infrastructure and fleet owners – that are dedicated to improving their operational efficiencies, sustainability and customer experience. The agreement commits members to piloting new ideas for specific logistical or sustainability challenges while offering resources like facilities and other infrastructure as demonstration sites for new smart city solutions. As a next step, network members will work together to identify common challenges in the fall.
“With Metro Vancouver’s booming economy, it is critical that we work to keep people and goods moving with a world-class transit and transportation system,” says TransLink CEO Kevin Desmond. “And we can’t do it alone. The VEC has a deep local and global network that shares the common goal of improving the livability of our region. Together, we can find innovative, smart and sustainable solutions for today and to prepare for years to come.”
The economic development partnership will support existing priorities in Metro Vancouver, such as Transport 2050, a new 30-year strategy for regional transportation, which TransLink is developing. The strategy will set out what the region needs to build, do, and provide to meet the region’s transportation needs between now and 2050. Collaborative initiatives like TDN will foster tech innovation for a strategic and connected future transportation system.
“Vancouver is Canada’s fastest-growing and most diverse low-carbon economy, and local companies continue to play a crucial role on the front lines of climate action,” says VEC CEO Catherine Warren. “TransLink’s involvement in our Tech Deployment Network unleashes a chance for startups to work with a keystone institution on urgently needed climate solutions. Our strategic partnership comes at a critical time when the City of Vancouver’s Climate Emergency Response calls for transportation innovation and when we can spark home-grown tech for our region and the world.”
TDN is a regional expansion of the Green & Digital Demonstration Program (GDDP), an initiative launched in 2014 by the City of Vancouver and VEC to accelerate the commercialization of solutions and pathways to market for local entrepreneurs and companies.
VEC, TransLink, and keystone TDN partners – including the City of Vancouver and City of New Westminster – expect to launch the inaugural intake of applications in the fall of 2019, with support from TD Bank Group through its corporate citizenship platform The Ready Commitment.
Context & Quick Facts
- Metro Vancouver has 7% of the country’s population, has approximately 27% of Canadian cleantech companies, including the highest concentration of Global Cleantech 100 companies in Canada.
- Of the 120 companies to apply to GDDP, 7 projects to date are underway or completed, 15 have been shortlisted awaiting installation.
Additional References
- City of Vancouver Climate Emergency Response
- TransLink launches public engagement for Transport 2050
- Green & Digital Demonstration Program and GDDP Participants
- Open Call for Innovation
About the Vancouver Economic Commission | @VanEconomic | vancouvereconomic.com
The Vancouver Economic Commission is the economic development agency for the city’s businesses, investors and citizens. It works to strengthen Vancouver’s economic future by supporting local companies, attracting high-impact investment and promoting international trade in the world’s fastest-growing, low-carbon economy. VEC works collaboratively to position Vancouver as a global destination for innovative, creative, diverse and sustainable development.
VEC respectfully acknowledges that it is located on the unceded ancestral territories of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.
Media Contact
For more information on this story, please contact:
Ingrid Valou, Communications Specialist
ivalou@vancouvereconomic.com
