TOGETHER WITH

Welcome to this week’s Midweek Memo, brought to you by INNOVATEwest. In this issue, read about economic resiliency on Vancouver Island, Open Ocean Robotics on the MaRS podcast, 10 outstanding UVic researchers, and what the Tiny Summit is offering entrepreneurs.

Now, onto today’s briefing. It’s 617 words, a three-minute read.

Vancouver Island takes top spot for economic resiliency

For the fourth consecutive year, BC Business has named Vancouver Island as the province’s most economically resilient region, highlighting the strength of the Capital Regional District.

Now a decade in and developed in collaboration with Environics Analytics, the list uses 10 economic criteria to rank B.C.’s 50 largest communities.

It’s not the extra sunshine and rugged coastlines that have earned the Island top marks (although we love those too) — BC Business notes that the region benefits from “strong household finances, low residential GHG emissions, minimal unemployment, and sturdy residential sales and housing starts.”

Vancouver Island communities named to this year’s list include:

• #1: Central Saanich

• #2: Sidney

• #3: Langford

• #9: Saanich

• #16: Victoria

• #18: Courtenay

• #21: Parksville

• #25: Sooke

• #28: Campbell River

• #31: Nanaimo

• #32: Comox

• #42: Duncan and North Cowichan

SPONSORED BY INNOVATEWEST

INNOVATEwest's Speaker Lineup Reveal!

As INNOVATEwest (IW) unveils its impressive roster of over 80 speakers, the Canadian tech world buzzes with anticipation. This multi-sector conference and exposition brings together leading figures from SaaS giants, Clio and Jobber, and features investment powerhouses such as CapitalG and Bessemer Venture Partners. The Speaker List is a who's who of tech and business leaders from Microsoft, Google, Damon Motors, Blackberry and Frontier Collective. Amidst this stellar lineup, IW also revealed a session that promises groundbreaking insights into the transformative potential of Generative AI. Led by Google Cloud Canada's Vice President, Sam Sebastian, this sneak peek into the world of Generative AI offers a glimpse into a future where technology and business converge in unprecedented ways.

See who's speaking at IW!

📰 More Victoria innovation news

🐳 A whale’s heart is as big as a car: Madeleine Bouvier-Brown, marine project scientist at Open Ocean Robotics, joined MaRS’ Solve for X podcast to discuss how we can protect marine biodiversity using tech innovations.

🤓 It’s all for you: The University of Victoria celebrated 10 of its researchers, whose work includes analysis of marine bioacoustics, waste management, and healthcare access for marginalized populations.

💰 Hold me closer, Tiny dancer: The Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria launched the Tiny Summit, sponsored by Victoria-based venture investment company Tiny. The Summit is aimed to support entrepreneurial UVic alumni scale their businesses.

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Full Stack Developer at MarineLabs

• Junior Stock Clerk at AXYS Technologies

• Coordinator, Procurement at BCI

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

📅 Upcoming events

Feb 22 | Back to the Nachos

​Are you feeling more like Doc and less like Marty McFly lately? Don’t worry — cold beer, melted cheese and great conversation will have you feeling like it’s 1985 again. ​Brought to you by Victoria Tech Nachos, a covert group at the intersection of nachos and technology.

Feb 22-23 | 5th Western Angel Investment Summit in Victoria

Join days of fun, networking, socializing, company pitches, speakers and panelists. Not sure what to expect? Check out highlights from the 2023 Summit.

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.

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Email your requests to [email protected].