Mitacs and BC’s Thriving Ecosystem

British Columbia is home to one of Canada’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems. From clean energy and advanced forestry to quantum computing and sustainable food systems, BC innovators are shaping solutions that address today’s most pressing challenges, and Mitacs is proud to be part of the journey.

At the heart of this progress is collaboration. By bringing together enterprises, post-secondary institutions, and highly skilled talent, Mitacs helps ensure that bold ideas move beyond the lab to deliver real-world impact.

Showcasing BC Innovation

In July 2025, the same spirit of collaboration was showcased at Mitacs Connect: Talent for Tomorrow, in Vancouver, BC. The event brought together over 120 leaders from government, business, academia, and the not-for-profit sector to explore how partnerships drive prosperity and talent development across the province.

Keynote speaker Dr. Trevor Lanting, Chief Development Officer at D-Wave, highlighted the opportunities and challenges facing the quantum sector. D-Wave, a Canadian quantum computing leader and Mitacs partner since 2014, has supported over 40 internships through national collaborations with post-secondary institutions such as SFU, UBC, Waterloo, and McGill.

A panel of BC leaders, including Dr. Paula Wood-Adams (UNBC), Dr. Frank Wood (Inverted AI), and Dr. David Black (former Mitacs intern and 2024 Mitacs Innovation Award winner), followed, exploring how to build a resilient workforce for a changing world.

Minister Rick Glumac, BC’s Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies, also attended and shared his perspective on the province’s innovation economy and the role of Mitacs in strengthening it.

Impact in action

A key component of the evening was real stories of innovation happening across BC. This included projects powered by Mitacs collaborations that demonstrate what’s possible when diverse perspectives come together:

Changing the game on sportswear: Lululemon and Mitacs interns at the University of British Columbia are pioneering sports bras informed by biomechanics research, advancing both comfort and performance for athletes.
Creating systems for salmon conservation: At Simon Fraser University, Mitacs-supported interns are using AI to merge Indigenous knowledge with modern monitoring tools, supporting salmon population conservation and ecological resilience.
Preparing for climate: On the Sunshine Coast, Mitacs interns are helping the Sierra Club of BC understand how forestry practices affect water flow, equipping communities with better data to prepare for floods and droughts.
From mushrooms to meals: With Maia Farms, Mitacs talent is leading the way in fungi-based proteins, reimagining how food is produced to make it more sustainable and scalable.
Addressing renewable energy needs: In partnership with Ballard Power Systems, Mitacs interns at Simon Fraser University are advancing low-carbon energy solutions, improving the durability of hydrogen fuel cells in cold climates.

Each of these projects reflects a unique corner of BC’s innovation landscape. Together, they represent a province where diversity of ideas flourish, supported by collaboration and a strong pipeline of emerging talent.

Building a stronger future

This impact is measurable. In the past fiscal year alone, Mitacs supported:

507 enterprise partners across BC

1,288 students and postdoctoral fellows

Delivering 3,183 internships contributing to 916 innovation projects

More than half of these partners have already commercialized, or plan to commercialize, their results, creating new products, services, and solutions that strengthen the province’s economy.

A collaborative ecosystem

From the earliest days of Mitacs’s inception in Vancouver more than 25 years ago, BC has been central to our story. Today, as we work alongside visionary enterprises, researchers, and government partners, we see the strength of an ecosystem built on collaboration.

Mitacs is proud to play a role in helping ideas take shape, talent thrive, and industries transform. By continuing to connect people, funding, and expertise, we are working together to ensure BC, and Canada, can champion their future leaders in the global innovation system.