From Quantum to Cleantech: AI Insights from Vancouver

Alexander Frimout of ACA Group on an AI technology mission with VOKA

Cleantech and hydrogen: Vancouver breathes sustainability

Canada takes its sustainability ambitions seriously. While political winds elsewhere can still shift unexpectedly, Canadian innovators continue steadfastly to invest in a low-carbon future.

During visits to, among others, Foresight and HTEC, it became clear how deeply hydrogen and cleantech are embedded in the local industry. Think of whisper-quiet hydrogen trucks, infrastructure built to be future-proof, and start-ups developing technology to address the long travel times across vast Canada.

Canadians do all this with a mindset they themselves call “elbows out.” Assertive, protective, and particularly proud of their own innovations.

Visiting HTEC. This company innovates at the intersection of heavy transport and hydrogen.

Qantum and particle physics: the future is literally accelerating here

What will the IT world look like in ten years? If the Quantum Matter Institute at the University of British Columbia has its way: completely different.

From disruptive cryptography to complex simulations for industry and science. The quantum revolution is in the air, and in Vancouver that revolution is becoming increasingly tangible.

Visit to the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute. Their field of expertise: quantum materials.

We also visited TRIUMF. This is the lesser-known but equally impressive Canadian sibling of CERN in Geneva (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire).

Here, elementary particles are accelerated to 75% of the speed of light. Not bad for a particle accelerator with a diameter of “only” 18 metres.

The research ranges from medical applications to astrophysics, showing just how broad and deep technological innovation runs here.

Behind the scenes at TRIUMF. TRIUMF stands for TRI-University Meson Facility, a reference to the number of founding universities.

Start-ups aiming for impact, not buzz

From drone AI to biotech to cleantech. Vancouver has a vibrant entrepreneurial climate strongly focused on solving real problems and on scalability.

During a start-up pitch event at The University of British Columbia (UBC), it became clear how many market opportunities are linked to the enormous distances, and thus long travel times, in Canada. Whether it concerns medical services in remote communities or autonomous transport in airports, the challenges here are different from those in Europe. That calls for different solutions.

A packed lecture hall at UBC.

Next stop: Venture Lab, a tech-focused incubator. There we got a look at:

• autonomous mobility for airports
• smart waste solutions to help Canadians sort better
• AI applications based on vision and lidar technology that strongly resemble our own Rematics stack.

Tour at tech incubator Venture Lab.

It is always enlightening to see how other regions tackle technological challenges similar to ours, often with surprisingly creative solutions.

Cinema, but twelve times better

An absolute highlight was the introduction to MTT. This company was acquired about ten years ago by Barco, the Belgian technology company that designs and builds visualisation solutions.

In their private cinema, they showcased the latest HDR by Barco technology. This laser system delivers up to twelve times more optical power than traditional projections.

A look at the cinema of the future at Barco’s MTT.

Deeper colours, brighter whites, darker blacks. Even those who are colour-blind can see the difference. In addition, they are heavily experimenting with automation and 3D projections. Cinema truly gets a technological upgrade here.

Energy innovation: between hype and groundbreaking science

Canada’s energy world is buzzing with ideas. Sometimes visionary, sometimes enthusiastically optimistic.

At MintGreen, we saw how residual heat from crypto mining is used to heat water. An idea with potential, although serious questions remain.

At the other end of the spectrum is General Fusion, one of fifty start-ups worldwide working on commercial nuclear fusion. With investors such as Jeff Bezos and technology that combines liquid metal with perfectly synchronised pistons, they are working here on an energy source that could change the world.

Maybe. If it works. And that is precisely what makes innovation so exciting.

An installation that compresses plasma. For those who want to dive into the technical depth: Wikipedia does its very best to explain it clearly.

Electric seaplanes

Where else but in British Columbia would you find an airline working on fully electric seaplanes?

Harbour Air has an aircraft that flies entirely electric, perfect for the short routes between Vancouver and Victoria. Only the government is not yet cooperating on commercial certification.

Innovation sometimes moves faster than regulation, and rarely has that been as clear as here.

Vanadium flow batteries: the underdog of energy storage

Lithium-ion is king, but not unchallenged.

At Invinity, we discovered Vanadium Flow Batteries (VFBs). A liquid energy storage system that retains its capacity and can cycle quickly. Already deployed worldwide, including an installation in Aalst. A fine example of how niche technology can have global impact.

A look at the build-up of a Vanadium Flow Battery.

Vancouver as a tech ecosystem

Between company visits, there was time for Stanley Park, Grouse Mountain and the iconic skyline. But Vancouver turned out above all to be a city where:

• nature and high tech seamlessly blend
• quantum researchers, cleantech pioneers, AI start-ups and traditional industry find each other
• innovation is not a vague ambition, but a mindset

The skyline of Vancouver.

What do we take home?

• AI never stands alone and only works when it is woven into real societal challenges.
• Quantum, cleantech and energy innovation are strategic sectors here.
• Regulation can make or break innovation, also in Europe.
• Diversity and openness form a strong breeding ground for creativity and entrepreneurship.

In short: Vancouver is a place that inspires!

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