Sustainable Innovation

Cost effective technology helps the environment and worker safety

BC’s North – Sustainable Innovation

Last month we exhibited at the Premier’s Forum on Natural Resources in Prince George, BC.   For me it was the second time attending the event. This time we were there with our own both, the year before I attended as a delegate. Both my father and uncle worked in the region with the railways. It was striking to see how the railways and transportation in general still play a significant role in the region. It is likely some of the LNG projects will happen, but even if they do not the North is still poised to continue on its growth curve.

What I find impressive about this event, versus others in the south, is a level of dialogue that exists between, first nations communities, local government, industry and academics. This event is about breaking down walls and coming together to grow the provincial economy and create opportunities. But it not just about unencumbered growth, it is about growth that is environmentally sustainable and responsible.

I have been asked a few times why does a tech company exhibit at a natural resources forum. It is simple natural resources are a major part of the BC economy. A segment of our economy that has for a very log-time been focused on doing things a certain way because historically that is how it was always done. As a tech company we focus on working with our customers to understand their needs and where there are opportunities to embed technology that drives innovation.   For us innovation is about doing it better, faster and cheaper. There are some natural resources companies that are focused on the status quo while others are more proactive and looking for opportunities to innovate.

There is change happening in the industry. We are helping those proactive customers embrace technology to better collaborate and drive innovation. It is not technology for the sake of technology. If we can empower shift supervisors with tablets to access safety procedures, MSDS, work orders it reduces man hours and it permits more sophisticated safety tools such as hazard-risk-analysis techniques to be put in the hands of frontline workers.  

There are a lot of opportunities from green mining to quality management solutions where we can help the industry compete in a global market place while controlling cost.