As politicians, founders and investors packed into the Vancouver Convention Centre for the second edition of Web Summit Vancouver, one message repeatedly surfaced across panels: B.C. wants to play a larger and more self-defined role in the future of global tech.
The ambition showed up in conversations around AI, Indigenous data governance, commercialization, infrastructure and talent development. Opening remarks from B.C. Minister of Finance Brenda Bailey set the tone early, emphasizing technology’s growing importance to the province’s broader economy.
“Yes, we have forestry, yes we have mining, yes we have manufacturing, but man—we’ve got tech,” Bailey said on the first day of the four-day summit. “When we think about the diversity of our economy, we have to think about tech more frequently with more supports driving it forward.”
Here are five big takeaways from Web Summit Vancouver 2026.
1. Sovereignty is becoming B.C. tech’s defining theme
One of the conference’s clearest recurring ideas was sovereignty—whether over data, infrastructure or intellectual property.
During a panel on Indigenous sovereignty in tech, Natiea Vinson, CEO of the First Nations Technology Council, said the conversation extends far beyond data ownership for Indigenous communities.
“Sovereignty in tech means Indigenous people leading at every layer, from infrastructure to investment to the stories that get told through new media,” she said, calling technology not the end goal, but a mechanism to strengthen Indigenous communities and cultures.
Premier David Eby pointed to the province’s push for “sovereign AI capacity” as B.C. weighs how and where new AI data centres are developed—a conversation that has accelerated following this week’s announcement that TELUS, alongside the federal government, plans to build a three-site AI data-centre cluster in British Columbia as part of a broader push to keep Canadian AI infrastructure, computing power and data on domestic soil.
2. B.C. is experiencing both the promise and peril of AI
To no one’s surprise, artificial intelligence dominated much of the conversation, but premier David Eby framed the technology in notably stark terms.
“British Columbia is such an interesting jurisdiction when it comes to AI,” he said. “It’s both in the extremely positive end of AI and the extremely negative end.”
Eby referenced the recent school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, alleging the shooter used OpenAI’s chatbot technology while planning the attack. He said the incident reinforced the need for stronger safeguards and reporting standards around AI tools.
At the same time, Eby pointed to B.C.’s growing AI economy as a major opportunity area. “We have 600 AI companies,” he said, adding that roughly 75 percent are revenue-positive.
Panels throughout the conference highlighted innovative AI applications in healthcare, drug discovery, climate monitoring and advanced manufacturing.
3. B.C.’s creative-tech industry still depends heavily on people and community
As conversations around AI disruption dominated the conference, leaders from some of the world’s biggest animation and visual-effects studios repeatedly returned to a simpler point: B.C.’s creative-tech ecosystem is ultimately powered by the talent of its people.
During a panel featuring executives from Sony Pictures Imageworks, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Blue Ant Studios, speakers described British Columbia’s creative-tech sector as the product of decades of talent development, government support and industry collaboration.
“It took time. It took 20 years,” said Michelle Grady, president at Sony Pictures Imageworks, when asked how B.C. evolved into a global hub for visual effects and animation. “A hub requires a few different things that are essential. It is great talent, companies, diversity of companies and government partnerships,” she said.
Jennifer McCarron, president at Blue Ant Studios, added that Vancouver’s international workforce and collaborative ecosystem have helped create a self-reinforcing talent hub. “Talent begets talent. It’s like moths to a flame,” she said.
“We’re never going to automate the taste and the imagination of the amazingly talented artists that we have at our studio,” affirmed Nick Cannon, SVP of production and technology at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
4. B.C. wants to move beyond the “branch office economy”
Across panels, there was a noticeable effort to position British Columbia not simply as a regional outpost for global tech firms, but as a place where foundational technologies and companies are built.
During the Innovate BC showcase, moderator and Hiive founder Sarah Huggins said B.C. is “more than just a satellite office for the South.”
The sentiment similarly showed up in discussions around quantum computing, bio-manufacturing, clean tech and AI infrastructure.
Eby also framed Web Summit itself as part of B.C.’s and Canada’s “Look West” economic strategy.
“This event is not sort of adjacent to what we’re doing around economic development,” he said. “This is part of what we’re doing to expand our presence internationally.” Eby pointed to other globally visible events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as part of the province’s broader outreach strategy aimed at showcasing B.C. to international companies and investors.
But the premier also emphasized that attracting global attention is only one side of the province’s tech strategy. The other, he said, involves helping local companies secure early customers and commercial traction through provincial partnerships and procurement initiatives.
5. Universities are increasingly positioning themselves as startup engines
Web Summit Vancouver also became the stage for several major commercialization announcements, including a new $20-million venture fund launched by Simon Fraser University and Crown Corporation InBC.
The SFU Innovates Venture Fund is designed to support early-stage B.C. companies emerging from SFU research, students and alumni—such as the successful quantum computing firm Photonic Inc—with a focus on sectors including life sciences, deep tech and cleantech. The fund includes $7.5 million each from SFU and InBC, with the university aiming to raise an additional $5 million from private investors and donors to bring the fund to $20 million.
The announcement follows a similar initiative unveiled earlier this spring between The University of British Columbia and InBC. That fund—the UBC Catalyst Ventures Fund—includes $10 million each from UBC and InBC, alongside plans to raise an additional $20 million in private capital to support UBC-affiliated startups.
Together, the two funds signal a broader push by B.C. universities and government partners to commercialize more homegrown technology locally while helping startups access early-stage capital without leaving the province.
