British Columbia’s innovation ecosystem will once again have a presence at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW), with Vancouver-based Frontier Collective organizing a multi-day program at Canada House and supporting a group of BC startups and scaleups attending the global gathering.

The initiative—known as the Frontier of Innovation Takeover—centres around programming at Canada House at SXSW in Austin, which will serve as a gathering point for founders, investors, policymakers, and global technology leaders during the week.

The centrepiece of the program will be Frontiers of Innovation Day, a curated gathering bringing together leaders across artificial intelligence, climate, robotics, health, and other frontier technologies.

“The centrepiece of the program will be Frontiers of Innovation Day, a curated gathering at Canada House in Austin bringing together leaders across AI, climate, robotics, health, and frontier technologies,” said Dan Burgar.

“The event will feature conversations with global leaders including representatives from the United Nations, OpenAI, venture capital, and leading innovators exploring the societal and technological shifts shaping the next era of growth.”

Alongside the programming, Frontier Collective is also supporting a cohort of BC-based startups and scaleups attending SXSW, helping them connect with international investors, partners, and customers.

“Alongside the programming, Frontier Collective is also supporting a group of BC-based startups and scaleups participating in SXSW, creating opportunities for them to connect with international investors, partners, and customers,” Burgar said.

The effort builds on Frontier Collective’s broader work convening global innovation communities through events, missions, and cross-border partnerships.

Through those programs, the organization says it has helped catalyze more than $600 million in investment, partnerships, and economic activity flowing back into British Columbia, including major expansions and international collaborations.

This year’s presence will also help reactivate Canada House as a central gathering point for Canadians attending SXSW.

“This year’s presence also helps reactivate Canada House at SXSW, creating a central gathering point for Canadian founders, investors, policymakers, and global partners during the week,” Burgar said.

Ultimately, the goal of the mission is to ensure British Columbia’s innovation ecosystem remains connected to the global technology conversation.

“The goal is simple: ensure that Vancouver and British Columbia are visible and connected within the global innovation conversation, while creating tangible opportunities for Canadian companies to scale internationally.”