Blog

Understanding Risk BC 2020 is an online, collaborative symposium and event series that fosters place-based risk reduction strategies to proactively enhance resilience and improve disaster recovery pathways in BC. On September 22, leading practitioners and researchers from across the region will gather for a Vancouver Economic Commission-moderated panel.

Vancouver’s virtual, augmented and extended reality (VR/AR/XR) industry is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, as the local and global technology landscape evolves towards rich, intuitive and immersive experiences.

Vancouver Economic Commission’s Bryan Buggey explains why COVID-19 should inspire a clean reset at Business in Vancouver’s 30 Ideas in 30 Minutes Digital Salon, aired August 25, 2020.

First Nations Technology Council (“Technology Council”) CEO Denise Williams sat down remotely with Information and Communications Technology Council analyst Faun Rice to talk about the impact COVID-19 has had on Indigenous peoples living in BC. Immediate impacts on First Nations communities extend far beyond the ability to work remotely and include access to education, healthcare, and benefits.

The $170 billion industry employees some 1.4 million people in every community and city across the country. And yet, there remains room for improvement in this mainstay industry – arguably one of our oldest and one of our most traditional.

Digital health is skyrocketing with the lockdowns and physical distancing necessitated by the global pandemic. Dr. Chandana Unnithan with Lifeguard Digital Health, a Vancouver-based medical technology manufacturer, dives into the importance of healthcare technology.

Creative technology is flourishing in Vancouver and BC, and lockdowns resulting from the global pandemic have facilitated an even greater surge in consumption. Brenda Bailey, executive director of DigiBC, discusses the creative industry’s evolution, current challenges and future prospects.

Working with a team of BCIT Sustainable Business Leadership Students, Adam Corneil and George Benson, VEC’s Sector Manager for the Built Environment, have now completed a study on the potential value of deconstructed and salvaged materials across the whole of Metro Vancouver.

Under Phase 3 of the BC Restart Plan, motion picture and television production has been given the green light to resume, albeit with restrictions that ensure the ongoing safety of cast, crew, suppliers and other workers.

You may have that noticed the Vancouver Economic Commission website and social media channels have switched over to a refreshed brand identity system.

With more and more businesses turning towards remote working, technology supporting virtual onboarding and training has become more important than ever.

As the world turns toward economic and social recovery, many individuals and businesses are questioning whether it makes sense to return to “normal” – with many calls to base our rebuilding efforts on improving our collective future and outlook.

Vancouver-based grocery delivery service SPUD has introduced the “Stay Home” program to support at-risk individuals, frontline workers, the elderly and others facing difficulties accessing vital nutrition during the global pandemic.

Within days of using their industry-leading antibody technology to analyze a blood sample from a recovered COVID-19 patient, the AbCellera team identified 500 antibodies with potential to treat the respiratory illness – the world’s largest panel of antibodies to date.

Vancouver's local clothing companies are redirecting focus from fashion to function to help outfit frontline healthcare practitioners with life-saving protective apparel. Outdoor apparel makers like Arc’teryx, Boardroom Clothing and Mustang Survival are collaborating with Vancouver Coastal Health to design and produce gowns that bring new levels of protection to healthcare workers.

Breaking Bread was inspired by a collective desire to support workers whose livelihoods depend on continued operation of the restaurant industry.

Small businesses in Vancouver are demonstrating hope, compassion and resilience in the face of COVID-19 by rallying to support each other, and to protect the public and slow the spread of the pandemic.

British Columbia’s life sciences industry, which typically employs more than 11,000 people, has risen to the challenge of speedy research into COVID-19 and developing promising treatments that carry significant potential to improve patient outcomes and save lives.  

Global haircare manufacturer AG Hair is shifting focus from hair products to hand sanitizers to help Canadian health organizations battle COVID-19.

Vancouver-based biotech firm AbCellera Biologics Inc. has captured global attention as a leader in the fight against COVID-19.