On the eve of Web Summit Vancouver, PacifiCan investments showcase Canadian innovation and help position B.C. tech companies for global growth

May 26, 2025 - Vancouver, British Columbia - PacifiCan

British Columbia is driving Canada's innovation economy as one of the nation's fastest-growing tech powerhouses. With over 12,000 companies employing more than 182,000 highly skilled workers, B.C.'s tech sector punches well above its weight.

PacifiCan is fueling B.C.'s dynamic tech ecosystem by championing homegrown innovation and advancing solutions that tackle real-world challenges. In 2023, PacifiCan announced a $9.9 million investment through Innovate BC to launch the Integrated Marketplace, which helps local companies test technologies in real-world environments. Over the past two years, this investment - alongside support provided by the Province of B.C. - has powered over 30 projects that drive innovation, AI adoption, and economic growth across British Columbia.

Today, the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan), announced a new investment in the Integrated Marketplace of over $1.8 million to integrate AI innovation into two projects at local testbeds:

• At Vancouver International Airport, the investment will support the next phase of a project testing self-driving robotic pods designed to help travelers with mobility challenges move around the airport more easily.
• At the Provincial Health Services Authority, the funding will advance a project that uses AI to analyze digital images of tissue, facilitating the detection and identification of diseases through the digitization of pathology and other cancer diagnosis processes.

This is the first investment announced through PacifiCan's Regional Artificial Intelligence Initiative. PacifiCan funding for the Integrated Marketplace is helping innovative businesses bring new technologies to market. It is also reducing the risk of adopting made-in-B.C. technologies while keeping intellectual property, talent, and economic benefits in Canada.

This announcement comes as B.C. gets ready to host Web Summit Vancouver - the leading global technology conference that is putting a spotlight on Canada's vibrant innovation scene. PacifiCan is investing $6.6 million for Destination Vancouver to host Web Summit in Vancouver for the next three years. This event will provide a launch pad for local innovators, attract international investors and talent, and further strengthen B.C.'s reputation as a leading hub for technology and entrepreneurship.