Revelstoke’s tech sector is experiencing growth, with several new initiatives on the go. The city has a contract tech coordinator who working to ensure the community has access to information and events around technological innovations.
Monthly meet ups have created a networking ecosystem where people in the community are able to connect and learn more about entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation.
The City of Revelstoke recently endorsed a Start Up Revelstoke strategy, intended to help entrepreneurs connect with tech industry experts in the community. Nicole Fricot, economic development director said currently efforts are focused on connecting two industries with tech innovations. The first is tourism, recreation and sport, the second is wood-based products.
“We chose tourism because there is a competitive advantage in Revelstoke,” said Fricot.
The strategy is a joint initiative of the city’s economic development, Community Futures and the Mountain CoLab.
Jean Marc La Flamme, Startup Revelstoke community leader, said there is an abundant population with high levels of education and tech industry experience whose skills are currently under used. For La Flamme, this creates a perfect recipe for building a Startup Community.
In addition to the Startup Revelstoke strategy there are plans under way to create a fabrication lab. Fricot said the idea for the fabrication lab came through discussions with the entrepreneurial community around what they required to innovate. The conversations made it clear that innovation infrastructure was missing.
Fabrication labs are sometimes known as maker spaces. Fricot said the difference is that a maker space is often geared towards community users whereas a fabrication lab has technology available for commercial users with the ability to also service community users. Fricot is currently working on a funding application to make the fabrication lab a reality. She’s also working to connect with existing maker spaces in town.
La Flamme said plans for Revelstoke’s fabrication lab are unique in that it is intended to be a multi-generational space.
The tech strategy is a community strategy, said Fricot, with the intention of providing good employment opportunities.
This story first appeared in the January 2018 print edition of Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine.
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