Welcome to this week’s Midweek Memo. In this issue, learn about how sustainable concrete can help address climate change, read some honest insights from our city's entrepreneurs, and find out who's been appointed to the Victoria Regional Transit Commission.

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How Victoria's concrete can help address climate change

How can we help solve climate change in Victoria? Well, the answer could be right underneath our feet: literally. Concrete — the foundation of our built environment — can be attributed to at least seven percent of the world's greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). In comparison, aviation is responsible for around two percent. But researchers and developers in Victoria are coming together to turn concrete into climatetech — an opportunity to make the material part of the climate solution, rather than contributing to the climate problem. 

Concrete is a composite material of which its GHGs largely come from cement — a key ingredient that allows of all of the materials in concrete to bind together. One approach to reducing the climate impact of concrete is to replace cement with another binding ingredient. Rishi Gupta, engineer and professor in UVic’s Civil Engineering department, retrieves ash from coal-powered plants (a waste by-product) and adds alkali activators to produce a concrete paver blocks.

Another approach can be found at the construction site of the new West Shore campus in downtown Langford. The first concrete pour of the project was supplied by CarbonCure Technologies, a Nova Scotia-based company. CarbonCure injects captured carbon dioxide into concrete during mixing, which allows for the material to become a permanent form of carbon storage. 

Nonetheless, innovation in concrete is still early-stage and only largely available to industrial and enterprise customers, so it may be a while before homebuilders can gain access these materials as individuals. However, local innovation in the lab and on the ground have set the bar high for new development in the capital region. 

📰 More Victoria innovation news

⚡️ The RCMP go electric: Vancouver Island can now claim to be home to the first fully electric RCMP cruiser in the country: CTV News

🙇‍♀️ Tackling imposter syndrome: Keep an eye out for Victoria-based entrepreneurs Justin Tse and Hamza Alamtab's discussion of imposter syndrome in Alamtab's soon-to-launch inaugural episode: Twitter

🌱 Seeing green in 2023: Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber, principal consultant of Ideas for Impact Sustainability Agency, reflects on the role of sustainability in finance and business to predict what 2023 has in store: LinkedIn

🧪 Unlocking success in biotech: Ariel Louwrier, president of StressMarq Biosciences, discusses his work and leadership in the industry on the Life Science Success podcast: YouTube

🌊 Victoria, the heart of Canada's ocean economy: A number of B.C.'s oceantech companies, including Victoria's Open Ocean Robotics, will help represent Canada at Oceanology International Americas, the world's largest oceans-focused exhibition and conference: LinkedIn

👩🏻‍💼Victoria tech moves

• Six new members, including Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto, have been appointed to the Victoria Regional Transit Commission (VRTC): BC Gov News

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🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Back-End Developer at Momentum Dash

• Sales & Administrative Representative at Moose Mobility Scooter Corp

• .NET Framework Developer at Megabyte Programming Services

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know! 

📅 Upcoming events

February 18: iWIST Wellness Wander: Goldstream Park

February 22: Intro to VIATEC 101

February 22: Mid-Island Tech Meetup

February 22: Health Tech Nights

February 23: Western Angel Investment Summit

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.