British Columbia has quietly become one of Canada’s most dynamic innovation hubs, home to global leaders in clean technology, artificial intelligence, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. But behind the province’s success is an equally powerful enabler: access to research talent that turns big ideas into market-ready solutions.
Few organizations have been more instrumental in bridging that gap than Mitacs, the national nonprofit connecting Canadian companies with academic researchers to drive innovation. Since 2018, Mitacs has supported nearly 4,500 innovation projects across BC, from helping Avestec’s flying robots inspect confined industrial spaces to accelerating quantum breakthroughs at D-Wave and 1QBit.
Techcouver spoke with Dr. Stephen Lucas, CEO of Mitacs, about his priorities for strengthening BC’s innovation ecosystem, the province’s global standing in clean tech and AI, and how Mitacs is helping startups and scale-ups across the province access the specialized talent they need to compete on the world stage.
As CEO of Mitacs, what are your top priorities to strengthen British Columbia’s innovation ecosystem, particularly in tech and emerging sectors?
SL: British Columbia plays a key role in Canada’s broader innovation ecosystem. My top priority is to ensure Mitacs continues to be a catalyst by connecting BC companies with world-class research talent to solve real-world challenges. Since 2018, Mitacs has supported nearly 4,500 innovations across the province, including close to 2,000 in AI and ICT, and over 1,100 in clean tech.
We’re focused on deploying the right talent, in the right places, at the right time. That means continuing to invest in future-focused sectors, deepening industry-academic partnerships, and ensuring our programs remain responsive to business needs. For over 25 years, Mitacs has delivered sustained impact. As we look ahead, our commitment is clear: help drive BC’s economic growth and global competitiveness by attracting, developing, and deploying the diverse, highly skilled talent this province needs to lead.
What makes BC’s innovation ecosystem stand out within Canada? How does Mitacs contribute to building on those strengths?
SL: British Columbia’s innovation ecosystem thrives on several core strengths: a deep pool of tech talent, proximity to global markets, and leading research institutions in AI, clean tech, life sciences, and health sciences. Vancouver, for example, ranks as the 2nd-largest tech ecosystem in Canada and placed 34th globally in the 2024 Global Startup Ecosystem Report, particularly noted for its STEM talent density and cost-effective innovation environment.
Mitacs enhances these strengths by bridging industry with academia, attracting, developing, and deploying world-class talent to work on real-world challenges. Through our programs, BC-based companies gain access to researchers and funding, accelerating innovation. This translates into tangible results: a 2024 Statistics Canada studyshows Mitacs-supported enterprises realize on average, an 11% boost in productivity, along with 9% higher revenue and 16% more sales over three years. By fusing BC’s dynamic ecosystem with strategic research partnerships, Mitacs helps convert the province’s research and talent advantages into economic momentum.
Are there particular sectors that you see as most promising for the province’s next wave of technological leadership?
SL: BC is positioned to lead in multiple areas, but the sectors of clean tech and AI stand out. Each represents a convergence of provincial strengths: research excellence, entrepreneurial drive, and a global orientation. Vancouver is recognized as a top 10 cleantech cluster globally, and BC is home to more than 270 clean technology companies, making it Canada’s second-largest clean tech centre. When it comes to AI, BC is home to over 500 companies transforming industries across the province, making it a rapidly growing hub for applied artificial intelligence.
Mitacs plays a unique role in helping these sectors scale. We don’t just support research: we build long-term capacity by aligning our programs with emerging industry needs. In British Columbia, Mitacs has enabled over 930 innovation projects in health and related sciences, along with over 800 initiatives in sustainability and environmental technologies since 2018.
We’re also seeing promise in advanced manufacturing, agritech, and AI-driven resource optimization, areas where BC can lead nationally and globally. As new challenges emerge, Mitacs remains committed to anticipating industry needs and deploying the talent required to solve them.
How is Mitacs helping startups and scale-ups access the specialized talent and research capacity they need to solve real-world challenges?
SL: Startups and scale-ups often face the same core challenge: access to the right expertise at the right time. That’s where Mitacs comes in. By connecting companies with academic researchers – master’s students, PhDs, and postdocs – we provide immediate access to specialized talent, along with funding support to help de-risk innovation.
Mitacs works with more than 2,200 enterprise partners across British Columbia, from early-stage ventures to rapidly growing firms. These companies leverage our programs not only to develop new products or processes, but also to build long-term R&D capacity they couldn’t otherwise afford on their own.
Our model is flexible, fast, and tailored to business needs. Whether it’s clean tech, biotech, AI, or agri-food, we match high-potential companies with top-tier research talent to move ideas forward and to help them compete globally.
Can you share a few standout BC-based projects that capture the kind of impact Mitacs aims to scale?
Four recent projects really underscore the breadth of Mitacs’s impact across sectors:
Avestec designs and builds intelligent flying robots for industrial inspections in hard-to-reach spaces. Mitacs provided funding and support towards the development of Avestec’s SKYRON tethered drones. This technology can perform highly accurate (centimetre-level) non-destructive testing within enclosed metallic environments, where GPS navigation typically fails. With Mitacs support, Vancouver-based Avestec has been able to access elite students and researchers to further support innovation. Beyond staffing support, Avestec has benefited from access to space and tools available at major educational institutions and flexibility in funding through Mitacs programs.
Hydra Energy in Prince George is transforming freight transport with its hydrogen–diesel co-combustion technology, reducing emissions by up to 40% while producing over 3,000 kg of hydrogen per day. As the Director of Innovation put it: “Thanks to Mitacs, we were able to hire interns and employees that bring skills we didn’t even realize we needed until they joined our team.”
Deadwood Innovations is developing prefabricated timber housing kits using locally sourced wood and advanced panel construction to deliver affordable, sustainable homes for rural communities. Mitacs-supported researchers are applying computational design tools and automation to accelerate production, streamline shop drawings, and ensure quality, making it possible to pre-build panels over winter and assemble homes quickly on-site.
1QBit, based in Vancouver, is a global leader in quantum computing that has grown from a startup to employing over 130 people across Canada and the U.S. Mitacs has connected 1QBit with more than 55 interns, nearly half of their team, including key senior researchers. These interns have helped develop algorithms to assess the potential of quantum computers to solve complex problems faster than classical systems. As 1QBit’s CEO said, “Without access to the local and international research programs that Mitacs provides, 1QBit would not have achieved the same industrial impact and successful growth across Canada.”
These projects exemplify how Mitacs does more than fund research: we bring high-impact talent to bear on real-world challenges across BC.
In a province where access to talent, funding, and commercialization pathways remains uneven, how is Mitacs helping to close those gaps, especially in regions beyond Vancouver?
SL: Mitacs has a strong track record of supporting innovation across British Columbia. We work closely with postsecondary institutions and businesses across the province to ensure that companies can access the talent and funding needed to solve real-world problems.
Our programs are designed to be flexible and scalable, whether it’s helping a clean tech startup in the Interior build out its R&D team, or supporting applied research in agri-tech or forestry, ensuring companies across British Columbia can access the talent and expertise they need to innovate.
Ultimately, our goal is to close the gap between ideas and implementation, no matter where innovation is happening in BC.
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