749 replies to this topic

[amor de cosmos]

Victoria’s Discover Tectoria Showcases City’s Growing Tech Sector
Robbie Aylesworth
Date: 
December 20, 2013

Discover Tectoria is an event that many tech enthusiasts look forward to. This year’s edition of the biennial affair was definitely worth the wait.

The all-day event took place on Friday, December 13 and although some might consider this day an unlucky one, Victoria’s tech sector didn’t seem to bat an eye. With approximately 4,500 attendees, 70 exhibitors, two great speakers, and various presentations taking place, the event went off without a hitch.

Taking place in the historic Crystal Garden building in downtown Victoria, the event featured over 60 companies, big and small, in various sectors of business and tech, from gaming to marketing to engineering to SaaS and much more.

http://www.viatec.ca...ing-tech-sector

[Baro]

I'm part of a pretty high-tech workshop out at the tech park now, it's awesome.  Laser cutting, genetic engineering, 3d printing, even this new "wood working" thing!

[amor de cosmos]

Saanich biotech company secures $52M US for global drug study
by Kyle Slavin - Victoria News
posted Feb 28, 2014 at 11:00 AM

A biotech company based out of the Vancouver Island Technology Park in Saanich received $52 million US earlier this month to help fund a clinical study for their drug that aims to treat a kidney-based form of lupus.

Michael Martin, COO of Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc., says the private investment comes as the company aims to start a lengthy global clinical study for voclosporin.

“The study is basically looking at active flaring lupus nephritis patients – these are very sick patients. And we’re going to try to induce remission, primarily driven by reducing the amount of protein in a patient’s urine,” he said.

http://www.vicnews.c.../247859171.html

[VicHockeyFan]

Via Victoria Buzz: VIATeC bought 777 Fort Street yesterday.

Official announcements to come but Dan Gunn couldn't wait to share.

 

[VicHockeyFan]

 

I had reported some time ago J&L Copy was thinking of leaving.

[AllseeingEye]

The old Cook-Roberts building I think? I would think too that compared to the current location @ Douglas and Hillside this might be a bit of a PITA from a parking standpoint. I'm relatively indifferent to ViaTEC either way but what was the primary driver for moving downtown - does this this location give them more space?

[Hotel Mike]

I love that building. I've been in the top offices and they are big city awesome with light coming in, and a roofscape of Victoria.

[spanky123]

I don't have any issues with Viatec either but I don't see the logic behind having an association purchasing a building. The location also seems to be about as far away from the tech park as possible.

[dasmo]

I don't have any issues with Viatec either but I don't see the logic behind having an association purchasing a building. The location also seems to be about as far away from the tech park as possible.

Perhaps they want to invest in the physical profile of the association and they got a good deal. Being downtown is a good idea. The primary objective of the association is promoting the tech industry here. Being high profile seems like a good strategy. The tech park is not highly visible. It's probably why they moved from there...

[spanky123]

Perhaps they want to invest in the physical profile of the association and they got a good deal. Being downtown is a good idea. The primary objective of the association is promoting the tech industry here. Being high profile seems like a good strategy. The tech park is not highly visible. It's probably why they moved from there...

 

Not saying they should be high profile, just that it doesn't make sense to me to purchase a building.

[Mike K.]

The purchase is straight out of left field but it also shows that the organization has strong financial support.

Tectoria/viatec has an office in the Scott Building at Hillside and Douglas. Finally making that leap into downtown will be a good thing for them. The tech park is garnering more flack than praise and the vacancies there aren't helping with the image viatec is trying to promote.

Quite honestly the tech park is a straight up 90's pipedream. People want to be in an urban, exciting location and not tucked away in some ex-hospital out in the woods. Looking back viatec should have established a downtown presence from day one.

[spanky123]

The purchase is straight out of left field but it also shows that the organization has strong financial support.

Aren't they Government funded though?

[Mike K.]

Member dues make up a lot of their revenue as do their for-profit events but I have never been able to figure out what the split is between their funding sources.

It would be good to know how much the tax payers contribution is for that building purchase.

[dasmo]

Last I heard they were under 1/3rd government funded at that was many years ago. This was stated after their revamp and was in comparison to being over 75% government funded. Maybe it's even less now? 

[Holden West]

Vancouver, not Victoria--but still. 

 

You may have heard something about Sony Pictures Imageworks relocating from L.A. to the new Norstrom/Pacific Centre mall in downtown Vancouver. You might have ignored it as we're guilty of heralding every minor tech office opening locally as a triumph for the economy and Techtoria or whatever. But hearing how the L.A. Times phrases it puts it in a broader context:

 

In a further blow to Southern California's visual-effects industry, Sony Pictures Imageworks is moving its Los Angeles-area headquarters to Vancouver, Canada.

 

 

Of course, while we would say our talent and enviable working environment sealed the deal, the Times says it was the massive tax breaks that lured them up and are helping to destroy Hollywood's tech industry.

 

http://www.latimes.c...0529-story.html

[spanky123]

Vancouver, not Victoria--but still. 

 

You may have heard something about Sony Pictures Imageworks relocating from L.A. to the new Norstrom/Pacific Centre mall in downtown Vancouver. You might have ignored it as we're guilty of heralding every minor tech office opening locally as a triumph for the economy and Techtoria or whatever. But hearing how the L.A. Times phrases it puts it in a broader context:

 

 

Of course, while we would say our talent and enviable working environment sealed the deal, the Times says it was the massive tax breaks that lured them up and are helping to destroy Hollywood's tech industry.

 

http://www.latimes.c...0529-story.html

 

I think that the Canadian media has figured out that these deals don't last. As soon as someone else offers a bigger tax break or the existing one runs out the office closes just as quickly.

 

Remember the stories about Microsoft and Realnetworks running big studios here with 50+ employees each?!

[jonny]

I believe it's been a similar story in Montreal with video game companies.

[lanforod]

Microsoft may have left Victoria but they've located a large office in the same building (the old Sears) in Vancouver. That area is probably the most visible and highly trafficked area in Vancouver.

[amor de cosmos]

AXYS WindSentinelAXYS Technologies Inc (AXYS) is pleased to announce that after a formal RFP process attracting responses from industry leaders, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DoE’s) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has awarded AXYS the contract to supply two WindSentinel floating LiDAR systems. The systems will be managed by PNNL to support research and development to help advance the U.S. offshore wind industry.

“This award reflects the DoE’s commitment to the use of new technology to assist in reducing the cost of offshore wind energy in the United States,” says Graham Howe, Director of Sales at AXYS. “We are pleased to be able to assist the DoE in their work.”

The WindSentinel™ is a wind resource assessment buoy that uses LiDAR to accurately measure wind speed, wind direction, and turbulence offshore up to blade-tip heights of 200m. The WindSentinel has recorded a number of world firsts, including the first commercial deployment and the most remote LiDAR offshore wind resource assessment ever conducted, 36 miles offshore.

http://www.viatec.ca...entinel-systems

[AllseeingEye]

http://www.viatec.ca...entinel-systems

Good on Graham, a good chap. AXYS is one of Victoria's best kept and most successful tech firms. Nice win for them.