This week has been proclaimed Technology & Innovation Week in Prince George by Mayor Lyn Hall, and there are a number of events happening to showcase and celebrate innovative ideas and businesses in Prince George.
“Prince George is home to a lot of great innovation and new ideas, from start-up companies with innovative ideas, to mature companies who are creating new technologies for their industry”, explains Matt Hutcheon, Executive Director of Innovation Central Society. “We have a lot of cool people doing cool things, and this week’s events are aimed at raising awareness about them, as well as planting the seeds for how others can undertake their own innovative ideas using tools and resources we have in the community. The technology sector in British Columbia now generates $23 billion dollars in annual revenues, and provides more employment than forestry, mining and oil & gas combined, and Prince George is growing in its importance and contribution to this sector.”
The week’s events include an F-up Night on Friday, where a couple of brave entrepreneurs will share some of their failures, and how they learned from those experiences. “In order to innovate, you have to try new things, and there will be a lot of failure that comes with that” says Hutcheon. “This event is aimed at removing the negative stigma with failure, and help people treat it as simply another step in the process of developing their idea or product”.
During the day on Friday, the community is invited to attend the Local Tech & Innovation Showcase being held from 10:am-3:00pm at the Hubspace in downtown Prince George. “We will have exhibits and demonstrations from some of our innovative companies, research projects from our post-secondary institutions, and a display of community resources from the MakerLab and others” said Hutcheon. “The exhibits will include demonstrations of software and mapping tools which have been developed here in Prince George, innovations such as 3D printers and drone technology, as well as information about research and businesses developing ideas related to agricultural, biomedical and clean water technologies.”
And Tech Week wraps up with the 1st Annual Launch Party Saturday night. A few local innovators will be profiled, some exciting new partnerships and programs will be announced, and it will be a chance for those interested in technology and innovation in Prince George to connect, network and look for opportunities to collaborate.
Tickets for all events, including registering for the many free events, can be found at techweekpg.eventbrite.ca .
