Following is a letter to Burnaby residents from Mayor Mike Hurley
It was great to be at Web Summit last week, showcasing Burnaby’s innovation economy on the global stage.
Not only were we invited to speak, but Burnaby’s growing presence in technology and life sciences was referenced again and again over the course of the summit—from centre stage to the exhibition floor, and in conversations with organizations and founders from around the world.
Web Summit is one of the world’s leading technology conferences, and the Vancouver edition alone brings together more than 20,000 attendees from over 100 countries. What sets it apart, however, is that it is part of a global circuit—with major events held in Lisbon, Vancouver, Rio de Janeiro, Doha and Hong Kong—connecting technology ecosystems across every major region of the world.
As one of the largest global gatherings of investors, innovators and technology leaders, Web Summit is a unique opportunity to highlight what our city has to offer and to make important connections. You could feel the energy and sense of opportunity the moment you entered.
It got even better when the first booth we came across was BCIT—who were there to show off their students' work, to celebrate and introduce them to the industry. I had the chance to speak with instructor Airrick Dunfield and some digital arts, media and design students already exploring startup ideas of their own, grounded in real world problem solving.
Burnaby on the global stage
From centre stage on opening day, Premier David Eby kick-started the conference using the example of STEMCELL Technologies—headquartered in Burnaby—to capture British Columbia’s innovation story and potential.
STEMCELL is the largest biotechnology company in Canada, and continues to expand its global footprint from here in our city. A few months ago we spoke with their CEO, Dr. Allen Eaves, on the Voices of Burnaby podcast—about their ambitions for further international growth, as well as their plans here in Burnaby. I visited their state of the art facilities only a few weeks ago.
Growing Burnaby’s life sciences hub–with STEMCELL Technologies CEO Dr. Allen Eaves
The Premier also pointed to another Burnaby success story: Ballard Power Systems. Ballard is a global leader in hydrogen fuel cell technology, developing zero emission power solutions for public transit, heavy duty transportation and industrial applications, and playing an important role in the global shift toward cleaner energy.
Beyond those examples, there was frequent discussion of companies such as LMI Technologies and D Wave. Both are based in Burnaby. LMI Technologies develops advanced imaging systems that help manufacturers inspect products, improve quality and run more efficient production lines. D Wave is a pioneer in quantum computing, building powerful systems designed to tackle complex challenges in areas like logistics and energy.
Among the many conversations we had with Burnaby start-ups, spanning enterprise software, deep technology, artificial intelligence and advanced computing, I spoke with Priya Gandhi, Director of Product Management at Finitizer Technologies, along with her colleague Nitin Gandhi.
Their company focuses on helping organizations better understand and reduce their cloud computing costs through AI driven analytics and optimization tools. This is an area of growing importance as businesses worldwide scale their digital infrastructure, and their excitement among the other start-ups was infectious.
Petr Korolev, founder of Spacial Intelligence Labs, another Burnaby based startup, also shared how they are developing next generation technology that turns everyday video and images into 3D models. He spoke passionately about its potential uses in areas like robotics and advanced digital systems.
At the heart of the Lower Mainland
These stories all reflect Burnaby’s role as a rapidly growing innovation economy—with a strong base of technology, cleantech and life sciences companies, supported by a highly skilled workforce and a dynamic business environment.
This is no accident. We are located at the heart of the Lower Mainland and are home to leading institutions like Simon Fraser University and BCIT. At Web Summit, we also had the opportunity to speak with teams from SFU, visiting their innovation booth and hearing about how they are working to translate research into real-world applications and companies.
That combination of location, talent and a growing mix of industry positions Burnaby exceptionally well as a hub for innovation, investment and sustained economic growth.
And we have to be ambitious. In speaking with Sebastiaan Messerschmidt, Consul General of the Netherlands, he underscored the importance of thinking beyond our borders—and recognizing the global potential of the work happening here in Burnaby.
At the same time, this innovation isn’t confined to global stages, it’s happening across Burnaby every day, not only in startups but across every sector of our economy, from established companies to classrooms and research facilities.
It was inspiring to see all of that reflected and celebrated at an event of Web Summit’s scale—and to see Burnaby not just participating in the global innovation economy, but helping to shape it.
Training the skilled workforce that powers Burnaby–with BCIT president Dr. Jeff Zabudsky
