A forum this week in Kelowna will seek to combine businesses looking for high-tech solutions with local innovators.

The B.C. Growth Opportunities Tour will make a return visit to the Okanagan on Friday as part of a tour across the province.

More than 27 companies are making presentations to potential solution providers building on more than 600 business connections that have .

Tracey Cochrane is owner of the Kelowna-based Points West, a firm that develops audio visual, acoustics and health care products.

She is one of the presenters on the 2017 tour having seen the benefit of making business connections from her participation in past forums.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a unique way of communicating, of getting companies to come together with innovative idea providers and driving potential partnerships,91裸聊视频� Cochrane said.

John Longbottom, IBM Canada91裸聊视频檚 executive for the public sector in B.C., says the opportunities91裸聊视频� tour helps fuel innovation, as the expertise and collaborative initiative that stems from this tour helps drive the growth of business and industry across the province.

91裸聊视频淭he B.C. Growth Opportunities Tour is what our province needs to ignite our regional economies,91裸聊视频� said Carl Anderson, president and CEO of the B.C. Innovation Council that organizes the tour, which also makes stops in Victoria, Surrey, Kamloops, Nelson and Prince George.

91裸聊视频淯nderstanding and solving a market pain (challenge) provides a real business opportunity for the solution provider and potentially allows access to national and global markets.

91裸聊视频淭his tour builds ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. It91裸聊视频檚 no surprise how many meaningful connections have been made and market driven solutions produced.91裸聊视频�

For Cochrane, she sees the value in collecting a large group of smart people in the same room and creating opportunities to help each other.

91裸聊视频淛ust to be in the room with access to input from innovative minds and networking potential opportunities is a valuable thing to have,91裸聊视频� Cochrane said.

91裸聊视频淚 listen to other presenters and what their technology needs are, and maybe I know someone who can connect with them to solve a challenge they are facing.91裸聊视频�

Cochrane says that attitude is pervasive within the Okanagan high-tech industry, with the Okanagan Innovation Centre serving as the central incubator for that communicative process to be actively exercised.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not easy to differentiate yourself as there is a lot of noise out there,91裸聊视频� Cochrane said in trying to market ideas as a potential investment start-up or to meet a challenge for a particular company.

The Kelowna forum takes place Friday, 11:30 a.m., at the Marriott Grand Okanagan Resort. To register as a participant, go to www.picatic.com/BCGOKEL.

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

barry.gerding@blackpress.ca
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