British Columbia faces mounting pressures—from climate-driven disasters and aging infrastructure to cybersecurity threats and strained public systems. But as those risks intensify, so too does the opportunity for technology to help communities anticipate, withstand, and recover from disruption.

That was the focus of a recent #VTJLive event hosted by Vancouver Tech Journal and BCIT, which brought together leaders from government, venture capital, industry, and academia to discuss how innovation is reshaping resilience across the province.

The panel featured Sheila Schindel (Innovate BC), Michael Lee (UrbanLogiq), Paras Sharma (InBC), and Dr. Michal Aibin (BCIT).

Across the discussion, several themes emerged about where the opportunity—and the challenges—lie for founders and innovators building in resilience, climate tech, infrastructure tech, and govtech.

The growing frequency of disasters—from floods to wildfires—has shifted resilience from a policy discussion to an urgent operational priority.

Dr. Michal Aibin pointed to the increasingly visible consequences of climate change in British Columbia.

“More and more natural problems and natural disasters are happening in our province,” he said. “It will be really important for all of us to start looking at them proactively, rather than post-disaster management.”

Michael Lee added that governments are now confronting the rising cost of disasters alongside broader fiscal constraints.

“Governments need to continue to invest and recognize where the risk lies,” Lee said, noting the repeated floods and wildfires affecting the province. “The cost of getting things wrong is a really tremendous challenge.”

The result: greater pressure on public agencies to deploy better data, analytics, and predictive systems before disasters occur.

Many of the tools discussed at the event—AI systems, predictive analytics, and real-time monitoring—are already being used in real-world environments.

Aibin described research and industry collaborations using drones and computer vision to predict and detect wildfires, as well as monitoring infrastructure and ecosystems.

“With our computing power and all development in the last few years, we can really make change and predict things and become more proactive,” he said.

In healthcare, venture investor Paras Sharma said AI is increasingly assisting doctors in clinical decision-making.

“Instead of looking at the X-ray for half an hour and making false positives, physicians can use AI and get high predictability in minutes,” he said.

For Sharma, these shifts demonstrate how technologies developed over decades—often quietly in university labs—can suddenly become foundational during moments of crisis.

The conversation highlighted a wide range of resilience-focused companies emerging across the province.

Schindel pointed to technologies spanning multiple sectors—from biofuel production using forestry waste to marine monitoring systems that help ships safely navigate hazardous coastal routes.

“There’s some really great stuff happening here in BC,” she said, citing companies developing environmental monitoring, modular construction systems, and advanced data tools.

Some innovations are also transforming agriculture, where labor shortages are accelerating automation.

Sharma described one BC startup developing robotic mushroom harvesting systems that scan growing rooms, identify ready-to-harvest crops, and automate picking.

“They’re getting orders not just from British Columbia but around the world,” he said.

For investors, these types of technologies demonstrate how resilience challenges can create entirely new markets.

While the opportunity is growing, selling to governments remains difficult for many early-stage companies.

Lee argued that outdated procurement models often favor legacy consulting processes over innovative technology solutions.

“We cannot continue as governments to build RFP processes that are based on legacy systems,” he said. “Government should be focused on outcomes.”

Instead, many startups succeed by finding internal champions within government agencies willing to test new tools.

“Typically you find a champion inside a government agency—someone who’s prepared to take a risk,” Lee said.

Programs that fund pilot projects and technology trials can also help bridge that gap by reducing risk for both startups and public-sector buyers.

Despite the panel’s focus on advanced technologies, speakers emphasized that the human side of innovation remains essential.

Schindel said curiosity, communication, and the ability to understand customer needs are increasingly valuable.

“You sell the thing by understanding what your customer needs,” she said. “You don’t get that if you can’t communicate well or seek to understand.”

Lee echoed that sentiment, noting that the most effective employees combine technical knowledge with an ability to translate complex solutions into practical value for customers.

“Persistence, efficacy, resilience—these are important qualities,” he said.

If there was one clear takeaway from the discussion, it’s that resilience is emerging as a major innovation category for British Columbia.

As governments and industries confront climate risks, infrastructure challenges, and digital threats, demand for technologies that help anticipate and mitigate disruption is only expected to grow.

For BC’s startup ecosystem, that creates both a responsibility—and a market opportunity.