Media Coverage
Building Supercluster’s for Canada
The case for Superclusters is all about finding new solutions to Canada’s continuously deteriorating innovation problems. This cannot be emphasized enough and explains why Superclusters were a signature initiative of a new Innovation and Skills Plan in 2015. Specifically, it was recognized that the long-standing way of promoting innovation in Canada—by using R&D tax incentives, maintaining a strong macroeconomic framework, and relying on supply-side supports for science and universities—was not working.
Autism Sharing Initiative Brings Federated Data Model to Research, Clinical Care
A coalition of researchers and healthcare providers in Canada and beyond are building what they believe to be the first global, federated network for sharing genomics and clinical data to support advances in research and patient care for autism.
06/15/2021
Could augmented reality be the future of aircraft maintenance & inspections?
What if you could hold up an iPad to an aircraft and see the locations of all the previous repairs in an interactive 3D display? The technology foundation for that type of application might be here sooner than we thought, thanks to a recent Supercluster project led by Boeing’s Vancouver lab.
06/11/21
Special Feature: Inside Vancouver's great tech evolution
We have another example of government and industry coming together: Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster. Launched in 2018 with $153 million in funding from the federal government and $200 million committed from industry members.
05/25/21
Superclusters doing “good things” for Canada’s innovation ecosystem despite criticisms, says former federal deputy minister
Canada’s ve superclusters have strengthened the innovation ecosystem but it is too soon to judge their long-term performance, says a former federal senior ocial responsible for the creation of the superclusters initiative.
05/05/2021
The Innovation Superclusters: Working for Canada
When companies of all sizes, academic institutions and not-for-profits come together, they generate bold new ideas that wouldn’t have otherwise come to light. Investment in Canada’s five Superclusters helps build first-rate innovation ecosystems with a competitive edge… and opens up a world of possibilities.
British Columbia The Best of BC - The Peak's B.C. Power Players
Bill Tam oversaw the Supercluster’s' 60M investment into COVID-related projects over the past year; former CEO of BC Tech Association.
Demand driven innovation ecosystems
What elements are needed to create demand driven innovation ecosystem to build world class companies? On this episode of Market Hunt, we speak with Co-Founder and COO of Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, Bill Tam.
04/20/2021
StrongerBC program creates new jobs, opportunities
The Province is providing more than 5,000 youth and young adults across British Columbia with access to skills training and well-paid jobs through the almost $45-million StrongerBC Future Leaders Program. The first program, the Innovator Skills Initiative program, is delivered in partnership with Innovate BC. The second program, the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator program, is delivered by NPower Canada, in partnership with the Digital Technology Supercluster and Microsoft.
04/13/2021
We must harness digital technology for 21st century health care
Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster has entire program streams dedicated to data and precision health. Personal Wallet Health uses blockchain technology to unlock the ability to securely share personal health information with health-care professionals, for example.
04/08/2021
Digital Technology Supercluster Invests in Workplace Brain Health Platform
Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster has made an investment in the Workplace Brain Health Platform to make a difference. This new platform aims to understand how sleep, meditation and other positive lifestyle factors contribute to our overall brain health and well-being.
03/15/2021
Cancer patients must not become collateral damage in fight against pandemic
COVID-19 has created a crisis for Canadian cancer patients, who have faced extraordinary uncertainty —beginning with surgery delays last March that impacted hundreds of thousands of people and cancelled up to 38 per cent of all cancer surgeries.
03/11/2021
Athena Pathways reaches milestone in helping women pursue AI and data science:
A new program involving Canadian company MDA, the Defence Department and DFO will use satellites to track so-called “dark vessels” engaged in illegal fishing. Ted Chernecki reports
03/08/2021
New program will track ‘dark vessels’ illegally fishing the world’s seas
A new program involving Canadian company MDA, the Defence Department and DFO will use satellites to track so-called “dark vessels” engaged in illegal fishing. Ted Chernecki reports
03/08/2021
Plugging in - one of the biggest opportunities, and needs, in the emerging Indigenous economy is tech
In a matter of months, the COVID-19 crisis has transformed the way companies of all types and sizes do business. With digital at the heart of business transformation and economic renewal, success will be driven by technology and connectivity, innovative collaborations, and most importantly, strong leadership for diversity and inclusion. Canada’s strategy must include an Indigenous economic game plan.
03/04/2021
Ngen Commits Funding to New $72 Million Production Facility That Involves Canadian Tech Startups
Last month, BetaKit reported that NGen had committed almost two-thirds of its $230 million budget. NGen is one of three Superclusters lobbying the federal government for additional funding to support its efforts beyond the program’s initial five-year timeline. The other Superclusters part of these lobbying efforts include the Digital Technology Supercluster and the Prairies-based Proteins Supercluster.
02/17/2021
FedDev contributes to expansion of Cloud DX
Cloud DX was recently awarded co-investment from the Digital Technology Supercluster to pilot the Stronger Together project, alongside Vancouver-based Curatio Inc. Stronger Together is delivering peer support, coaching and remote monitoring to patients undergoing surgeries, as well as people suffering from chronic illnesses, including COVID-19.
02/17/2021
Telewound Canada rolls out in Ontario & Quebec
A consortium of leading Canadian organizations has come together to launch Telewound Care Canada, a virtual care initiative designed to help patients connect with their care teams while reducing unnecessary travel and in-person care. Telewound Care Canada aims to implement virtually enabled models of wound care that will impact over one thousand wound patients in Ontario and Quebec by Summer 2021.
02/10/2021
Fraser Health expands virtual care for workers dealing with substance use
The health authority had previously been offering a substance-use management platform known as the Alavida Trail to 5,500 health care workers at three sites. The platform, developed by Vancouver-based Alavida Health Ltd., is now being made available to all 32,000 health workers employed at Fraser Health.
02/09/2021
Digital Technology Supercluster Invests $2.5 Million into New Telehealth Wound Care Project
The Digital Technology Supercluster is investing $2.5 million into a new $3.1 million initiative aimed to help wound patients access care virtually. The project, called Telewound Care Canada, will use an artificial intelligence-powered mobile app created by Toronto-based healthtech startup Swift Medical to capture and share high-precision wound images from home.
02/10/2021
5 technology projects helping Canadians bounce back and stay resilient
In response, Vancouver’s Food-X Technologies, collaborating with partners through the Digital Technology Supercluster, developed an e-grocery software system that ensured fresh, high-quality groceries could be delivered to essential workers, hospital patients, and other Canadians with health conditions in quarantine.
02/01/2021
For cyberthreats and competition battles, Microsoft president calls for more collaboration
Mr. Smith spoke to The Globe and Mail last week during a virtual ’tour’ of Canada, during which the company announced that it would invest $1.4-million toward a new $8.7-million Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator Program to train 2,500 underrepresented youth for digital-focused jobs in conjunction with B.C.’s Digital Technology Supercluster, and that it would add Inuktitut to its translation software.
01/31/2021
Digital Supercluster and industry partners put their money behind helping young Canadians succeed in the digital economy
On Thursday, Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster unveiled the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator, which helps support the nation’s recovery from the pandemic by providing tech skills to youth from communities underrepresented in the digital economy.
01/29/2021
Collaboration Works: How Island Organizations Are Connecting for Virtual Health Care
What stands out with so many of the recent technology projects in health care is the collaboration involved with each. In fact, COVID-19 has underscored the critical need for collaboration to resolve problems and move forward. The Digital Technology Supercluster is all about collaboration.
01/29/2021
Digital Technology Supercluster Launches Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator
The Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator project is a total investment of $8.7 million, with $7.3 million invested by industry and other partners and $1.4 million of co-investment by the Government of Canada’s Innovation, Science and Industry through the Digital Supercluster.
01/29/2021
Microsoft, NPower launching accelerator to equip underrepresented youth for digital careers
Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, a cross-industry collaboration of some of Canada’s biggest names in technology, communications, healthcare and more, announced an investment in the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator project to provide in-demand technology skills to young Canadians.
01/28/2021
NPower Canada, Microsoft and Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster launch the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator project
Today Microsoft President Brad Smith, alongside The Honourable Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Industry announced that through the Digital Technology Supercluster, they are co-investing $1.4 million each in NPower Canada’s Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator.
01/28/2021
Bulletin: Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator launched with $8.7M in funding from government and industry
NPower Canada is collaborating with Microsoft Canada and Blueprint to launch the Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator: a 15-week online skills training and job placement program that will equip 2,500 underrepresented youth (18 to 29 years old) for in-demand digital careers across Canada.
01/28/2021
Technology Digital Technology Supercluster turns attention to tech skills for underrepresented communities
The DTS announced Thursday (January 28) it’s contributing $1.4 million to the initiative that aims to re-skill women, Black, Indigenous, LBGTQ and people with disabilities amid the major economic shakeup brought on by the pandemic.
01/28/2021
Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster Makes Largest Investment Yet in Skilling Canadian Workforce
Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster is proud to announce its largest investment to date in developing in-demand digital talent through its Capacity Building Program. The Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator project is a total investment of $8.7 million, with $7.3 million invested by industry and other partners and $1.4 million of co-investment by the Government of Canada through the Digital Supercluster.
01/28/2021
Digital Technology Supercluster Makes New Investment to Create $8.7 Million Tech Talent Program
The British Columbia-based Digital Technology Supercluster has invested in a new $8.7 million program focused on fostering tech talent in Canada.
01/282021
NPower Canada, Microsoft Canada, and Blueprint launch Canadian Tech Talent Accelerator
The project was made possible by a total investment of $8.7 million. A Jan. 28 news release says $1.4 million of that total comes from the government’s Innovation, Science and Industry’s Digital Supercluster. Industry partners forked over $7.3 million.
01/28/2021
SFU researchers study patient needs for COVID-19 vaccine distribution software
The SFU researchers are one component of a larger collaboration with researchers, businesses, and health organizations, called Project ABC, whose goal is the “authorization, booking, and coordination of widespread serological testing and immunization.” It is funded by Digital Technological Supercluster, an initiative by the Government of Canada.
01/14/2021
The Innovators: Terramera is out to transform food production
Through the B.C.-based Canada’s Digital Supercluster, Terramera collaborated with UBC researchers to learn how the virus that causes COVID-19 is mutating, Manhas says. Their efforts yielded insights into applying treatments and vaccines “not only to the virus as it is now but to how it’s going to go, so we don’t have to go through this again.”
01/14/2021
Canadian Program to Deploy Cancer Testing During COVID-19 Reaches Key Milestones, Adds New Partners
Canexia Health today announced critical progress milestones as well as new partnerships for Project ACTT. With a strategic investment from Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, Project ACTT is speeding up cancer testing for targeted treatment selection during the pandemic through a minimally invasive circulating tumor (ctDNA) DNA test.
01/11/2021
The Innovators: MetaOptima Technology brings its skin cancer-fighting AI home
When federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains announced the first projects to be funded under the B.C.-based Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster initiative last year, he chose as his venue not a blue-chip participant like Telus Corp., Providence Health Care or the BC Cancer Agency. Instead, he spoke from the Vancouver office of a small startup, MetaOptima Technology.
01/08/2021
Canada’s Superclusters Delivering Results
The Digital Supercluster has engaged 1,000 Canadian organizations, launching 65 active projects. These projects bring together consortiums of companies, academic institutions and research organizations to work on specific challenges across five focus areas – COVID-19 response, precision health, data commons, digital twins, and capacity building.
01/06/2021
New UBC research partnership connects patients with virtual health communities
The Stronger Together project harnesses Curatio’s social networking health app to connect patients with expert resources, online counselling, daily health trackers and opportunities to build social connections with Canadians experiencing similar health circumstances.
01/06/2021
The Man Behind Canada's Digital Technology Supercluster - with Bill Tam
Bill Tam, Co-Founder of Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster based in Vancouver BC, joined Cascadia Report to share his wealth of experience in the tech sector in Canada, and provide insights and advice for those leading businesses in 2020 and beyond.
12/23/2020
'Company Pitch & Showcase' gives women a chance to grow in tech industry
The “Company Pitch & Showcase” is part of W Venture, a partnership program between The University of Victoria, Viatech and Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster. A three-month pilot program by W Venture was launched this past September for women in Victoria and the Okanagan who were ready to accelerate their tech-sector businesses.
12/03/2020
COVID-19 vaccine delivery project draws on SFU's health tech expertise
As a COVID-19 vaccine draws closer, Simon Fraser University researchers Diane Gromala, Chris Shaw and a team of graduate students are tracking the data to ensure those who'll need vaccinations most the "less visible" vulnerable and at-risk have priority access.
12/03/2020
New investment will speed stem-cell research for Type 1 diabetes, Element AI approves American acquisition, and more
A consortium led by Toronto’s DNAstack has received $5.1 million to increase capacity to use genomics and biomedical data to better understand, predict, and treat COVID-19 on a molecular level. The project is funded in part by Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster.
12/02/2020
New investment will speed stem-cell research for Type 1 diabetes, Element AI approves American acquisition, and more
A consortium of Canadian informatics firms, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutes has pledged C$5.1 million (US$3.9 million) to tailor a bioinformatics and health data platform for COVID-19 research across the country.
12/01/2020
Universities, student researchers team up to fight COVID-19
The Looking Glass: Protecting Canadians in a Return to Community, aims to bring machine learning and predictive analytics to bear. It brings together researchers at Queen’s University and the University of Saskatchewan with a host of private-sector partners in artificial intelligence and computing. It is partly supported by $1.3-million from the federal government, through the Digital Technology Supercluster.
11/06/2020
Superclusters’ focus on collaboration is reaping benefits for Canadian SMEs
The
national superclusters’ efforts to increase collaboration among different industrial
sectors, large and small companies, and academic research institutions are paying off
for some Canadian small- and medium-sized enterprises.
11/04/2020
Digital Technology Supercluster Makes $10 Million Investment, Rounding out $60 Million Covid-19 Program
The Digital Technology Supercluster has made $10.7 million in follow-on investments to five projects under its COVID-19 stream, rounding out the Supercluster’s $60 million budget for the pandemic-focused program.
10/22/2020
Supercluster Makes Follow-on Investments in COVID-19 Feasibility Projects
The Feasibility Studies deployed in the COVID-19 Program allow Supercluster members and collaborators to identify rising challenges created by the changing environment the COVID-19 pandemic brings.
10/22/2020
Digital Technology Supercluster Invests $30 Million in 17 Projects Through COVID-19 Program - BetaKit
The British Columbia-based Digital Technology Supercluster has announced a cumulative investment of approximately $30 million into 17 projects through its COVID-19 program, launched in April to contribute to Canada’s Plan to Mobilize Industry to fight the pandemic.
08/06/2020
Vancouver supercluster closes out $60m in pandemic funding - Business in Vancouver
After four months of approving projects for funding, the Digital Technology Supercluster has closed out its investments to the tune of $60 million with the approval of 16 final projects on Thursday.
08/06/2020
Digital Technology Supercluster Announces 16 New Funded Projects and Completion of $60 Million Investment in COVID-19 Program - TNET
The Digital Technology Supercluster announced the completion of its $60 million investment in the COVID-19 Program, launched in April to fight COVID-19.
08/06/2020
Digital Technology Supercluster Completes $60 Million Investment in COVID-19 Program - Techcouver
The Digital Technology Supercluster has announced the completion of its $60 million investment in the COVID-19 Program, launched in April to contribute to Canada’s Plan to Mobilize Industry to fight COVID-19.
08/06/2020
Supercluster Delivers For Food-X’s eGrocery Management Solution - Techcouver
The Digital Technology Supercluster is providing Food-X Technologies with an additional $2.6 million to enhance its eGrocery Management Solution (eGMS) for retailers to scale safe food delivery.
08/05/2020
Food-X Technologies Receives Additional Funding to Enhance eGrocery Management Solution for Retailers - Cantech Letter
Food-X Technologies, a leading scalable end-to-end software solution for profitable online grocery fulfilment, today announced the Digital Technology Supercluster will provide a follow-on $2.6 million to enhance its eGrocery Management Solution (eGMS) for retailers to scale safe food delivery.
08/05/2020
Canadian Consortium Increases Access to Cancer Testing and Treatment in Response to COVID-19 - The Province
A consortium led by Vancouver-based Canexia Health will enable access to critical testing and treatment options for Canadian cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
07/15/2020
Accelerate Okanagan, Digital Technology Supercluster Launch Program for Women Entrepreneurs in BC - BetaKit
Accelerate Okanagan, University of Victoria, VIATEC, and the Digital Technology Supercluster have opened applications for W Venture, an entrepreneurial program for women in British Columbia.
06/26/2020
Terramera Leading Project to Predict Future Strains of COVID-19 With AI-BetaKit
British Columbia’s Digital Technology Supercluster, backed by the Government of Canada, will support Terramera’s effort with $1.8 million CAD in initial funding through its COVID-19 program, which seeks to protect the health and safety of Canadians and the country’s economy “through the development, deployment, and scaling of digital technologies.”
08/05/2020
Digital supercluster to spend nearly CA$60M to fight coronavirus now and in the future - BioWorld
A consortium led by Vancouver-based Canexia Health will enable access to critical testing and treatment options for Canadian cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
07/15/2020
Starling Minds Announced in a $2.5M Digital Technology Supercluster Project to Deliver Personalized Mental Health Tools for Frontline Healthcare Workers - Canadian Business Journal
The Digital Technology Supercluster announced its co-investment into a $2.5M project to deliver a suite of interactive digital therapy tools to healthcare organizations for readily accessible and personalized mental health care for their workers.
06/09/2020
Digital Technology Supercluster Investing in Eight New Projects Through COVID-19 Program - BetaKit
Eight new projects focused on addressing the COVID-19 pandemic are receiving investments from the British Columbia-based Digital Technology Supercluster. The funding for each project was not disclosed. technologies.”
06/05/2020
Digital Technology Supercluster unveils eight new projects as part of COVID-19 response - Financial Post
The federally backed Digital Technology Supercluster on Thursday unveiled eight new initiatives from its $60-million COVID-19 program, including a new system for local authorities to model the impacts of reopening as well as platforms for virtual mental health, addiction treatment and telework for youth and health-care workers.
06/05/2020
Supercluster Funds More COVID-19 Recovery Projects In B.C. - Techcouver
The Digital Technology Supercluster continues to collaborate with companies from across Canada to develop, deploy and scale innovative technologies to support Canadians safely return to work.
06/04/2020
Digital Technology Supercluster unveils eight new projects - Business in Vancouver
Eight new projects will be tapping into $60 million in funding dedicated to addressing the pandemic following a March mandate from the federal government.
06/04/2020
Digital Technology Supercluster unveils eight new projects as part of COVID-19 response - The Logic
The federally backed Digital Technology Supercluster on Thursday unveiled eight new initiatives from its $60-million COVID-19 program, including a new system for local authorities to model the impacts of reopening as well as platforms for virtual mental health, addiction treatment and telework for youth and health-care workers.
06/04/2020
UBC researchers use technology to speed up COVID-19 diagnoses - CTV News
A portable ultrasound device developed by a Burnaby company in 2017 is being redeployed as a tool in the fight against COVID-19. The project is part of a $2.5-million initiative led by B.C.'s Digital Technology Supercluster and known as Intelligent Network Point of Care Ultrasound (IN-PoCUS). The goal of the initiative is to improve diagnosis in rural areas.
05/26/2020
Digital Technology Supercluster Funds UVic COVID-19 Research - Business Examiner
Whether using artificial intelligence to fast-track antibody development to treat COVID-19 or striving to keep home-care patients and caregivers safe, two University of Victoria research projects funded by the Digital Technology Supercluster will contribute to finding solutions to the pandemic.
05/26/2020
Scanners could accelerate COVID-19 diagnoses - Times Colonist
Canada’s Digital Supercluster program provided $2 million for the development of the scanners project. But, when COVID appeared, research shifted to assist in diagnosis. Then, an additional $500,000 came from the Supercluster, Providence, Clarius, Change Healthcare and UBC.
05/26/2020
1QBit, AlayaCare among Latest Projects to Receive Support from Digital Technology Supercluster - BetaKit
The British Columbia-based Digital Technology Supercluster has announced seven new projects that are part of its COVID-19 program, which is focused on unlocking solutions that protect the public health, safety, and the economy during and after the crisis.
05/26/2020
Seven more projects tap funding from B.C. supercluster in COVID-19 fight - Business in Vancouver
The B.C.-based supercluster revealed Tuesday (May 26) seven more projects have been approved for funding in addition to the four that were announced last month.
05/26/2020
Vancouver’s tech supercluster commits $60m to COVID-19 fight - Business in Vancouver
The Vancouver-based supercluster revealed Monday (April 20) it’s earmarked $60 million from its $153 million budget to develop partnerships across its networks to address issues brought on by the pandemic.
04/20/2020
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