Three Questions with Tomica Divic

In our Three Questions feature, we interview industry experts in Canada and beyond. In March 2026, we connected with Tomica Divic, VP, Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystem Development for Innovate BC.

What trends do you think are shaping innovation in B.C.?

It might be the obvious answer, but it’s hard to deny the impact AI is having and will continue to have on tech and innovation here. Across sectors we’re seeing AI move from experimentation into embedded operations and core strategy, and that’s going to fundamentally change how organizations compete and scale.

At the same time, stronger alignment between different levels of government, industry, and the innovation ecosystem is accelerating impact. Just look at the collaboration that’s come out of Web Summit’s arrival to Vancouver; this is arguably the world’s biggest tech event, here for a three year residency – an incredible opportunity for the province – and in year one alone we saw our innovation community come together in a massive, unprecedented way to maximize it as a platform for supporting local companies. And more of that is only a good thing. When public and private sector drivers move in sync, it truly creates clearer pathways from idea to adoption and growth across B.C.

What’s the biggest bottleneck you see right now for innovation in B.C., and what is needed to unlock it?

From what we’ve been hearing and seeing across the ecosystem, a big bottleneck is often the pathway to adoption — getting proven, made-in-B.C. solutions into real-world use at scale. Often, we see would-be adopters reluctant to invest in new technologies, whether due to cost, the time and effort it takes to properly integrate new solutions, etc. So, the adoption pathway needs mechanisms to reduce that risk for potential buyers.

To address that gap we need to tackle it head-on, through specialized supports and programming. Our Integrated Marketplace platform, for instance, aims to do that by offering funding and a framework to B.C.-based adopters that de-risks and incentivizes exploring innovation – and then, ideally, nets partnering B.C. innovators a crucial reference customer.

When innovators can validate, sell, and scale faster, the entire ecosystem sees value. And when their early customers are also here in B.C., it’s an abundance of benefit.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone trying to move an innovation forward, whether they’re in a lab, an accelerator, or a start-up?

Stay relentlessly customer-focused and talk to your users early and often. The strongest innovations are built in close partnership with the people who will ultimately adopt or engage with them. Real-world feedback not only validates what you’re doing, it sharpens product-market fit, accelerates adoption, and helps innovators avoid costly missteps.

Interested in participating in Three Questions? Let us know.
Email claire@magneticcomms.com.