Mb Tech Week seeks to engage ‘wider Manitoba community’ in innovation

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This article was published 30/01/2025 (419 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Regardless of how well you think the Manitoba economy is doing, chances are the innovative application of technology could make it better.

The fact Manitoba is more reliant on the agricultural industry than other jurisdictions might be, for instance, does not mean tech is not important for that sector. And just because Manitoba is far away from Silicon Valley geographically is not a rationale to leave tech innovation to others.

Kelly Fournel, CEO of Tech Manitoba, does not believe it’s an attitude that exists in the province, but she does believe there is a widespread sense people want to know more about what’s going on.

That’s why her organization, along with New Media Manitoba, decided to go big with an annual weeklong series of events — Mb Tech Week — to bring more people into the tech bubble.

The second annual gathering in Winnipeg (Feb. 24 to March 2) has 30 events and counting lined up.

“After last year’s event, folks let us know they were hungry for visibility,” said Fournel. “We were lacking an event to bring visibility to the wider Manitoba community about what is happening in their backyard with innovation and technology.”

Fournel is trying to go above and beyond the traditional sector council advocacy and training support functions and engage the community as a whole.

For instance, she believes players in traditional industries like manufacturing or agriculture may not be aware there are companies in Manitoba that have solutions that could help address opportunities or challenges in sectors that may not identify specifically as technology-driven.

“I think for us, it is about making the wider Manitoba community aware that we have all these great companies and post-secondary institutions with really good micro-credential up-skilling opportunities for their employees.”

It may not always be obvious, but as is the case in many other aspects of life in Manitoba, when it comes to figuring out how to leverage technology to create innovation within a company there are local resources to tap into.

Manitoba Tech Week has a do-it-yourself feel to it that does not require coding or an engineering degree as a prerequisite to attend.

Fournel also believes it’s a chance to focus on day-to-day operational challenges as a break from the “cloud that seems to have descended” of worries about potential trade wars and disruption of institutional norms.

“I think it’s an opportunity for us as business leaders to start talking about how we can reframe these perceived headwinds into understanding what might be new parameters to work within,” she said.

The marquee event on the evening of Feb. 24 at the Delta Hotel, called Ignition, is the only one that requires paid admission.

Among other topics, Ignition attendees will hear from local companies like Payworks about how it deployed technology to help it become one of the province’s great enduring success stories of the past couple of decades.

Fournel also teased there is going to be a new initiative announced that will highlight an innovation within the local ecosystem that will provide skills and support for startup founders to help them take companies to the next level.

“We are talking about creating a greater impact so startups can be a growing source of wealth and taxation in Manitoba,” she said.

There’s also activity in northern Manitoba at University College of the North campuses in Thompson and The Pas. As well, Tech Manitoba will launch two $1,000 scholarships for high school students meant to encourage curiosity about using tech for their own personal learning, school project or community-based initiative.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca