The Centre for Digital Media (CDM) recently welcomed local and international investors, government representatives and industry leaders as part of an Invest Vancouver-led Creative Technology Tour to kick off Web Summit Vancouver 2026, highlighting British Columbia’s thriving creative technology and digital media sector.
Hosted at the Centre for Digital Media, within Vancouver’s Creative District at Great Northern Way, the visit showcased how industry, education, infrastructure and tech organizations are helping shape BC’s connected innovation ecosystem.
Among those attending was BC Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, Minister Anne Kang, who highlighted BC’s growing creative technology sector and the province’s strength across gaming, film and VFX, animation, immersive technology and AI.
“Places like the Centre for Digital Media are key to BC’s success,” said Kang. “CDM is an anchor institution, training the leaders of tomorrow and connecting industry challenges with fresh perspectives. This is where talent is not just trained, but tested, through students work on real problems with real partners from day one.”
Vancouver City Councillor Mike Klassen spoke to Vancouver’s evolving position as a globally connected and investment-ready region, while emphasizing the role organizations like CDM play within the broader innovation ecosystem.
“CDM helps create the conditions investors look for: access to high-quality talent, strong industry collaboration, and a direct connection between innovation and commercialization,” said Klassen. “It doesn’t just train workers. It helps de-risk investment. Now the goal is to turn CDM from the best kept secret - into the thing the world can’t stop talking about.”
Reflecting on the evolution of BC’s creative technology ecosystem, DigiBC CEO Loc Dao and CDM Board Chair Bill Tam discussed the decades of collaboration between industry, government and post-secondary institutions that helped shape Vancouver into a globally recognized creative-tech hub.
LowTide Properties Director of Asset Management Matt Dixon also shared the long-term vision for the South Flats and Great Northern Way area as a globally recognized innovation district designed to support collaboration, talent attraction, emerging technologies and future industry growth.
Recently nominated for a Canadian Video Game Award for Best Indie Game for Fresh Tracks, Buffalo Buffalo Creative Director Patrick Owens reflected on the advantages of building games within the CDM ecosystem, where access to top talent and programs like MITACS support the next generation of game studios.
“About 25% of Buffalo Buffalo’s workforce are Master of Digital Media graduates,” said Owens. “For Fresh Tracks, MDM students helped conceptualize and build several levels of the game through a partnered research project. That kind of collaboration can make a real difference for growing companies.”
Throughout the afternoon, visitors were introduced to the Master of Digital Media (MDM) program, CDM’s industry-partnered project model, and the student and industry collaborations helping shape Vancouver’s creative technology sector.
Delegates also explored interactive demonstrations across the CDM campus, including the newly launched CDM Innovation Gallery featuring VCC’s industrial sandblasting experience, Metrovancouver’s serious solid-waste game, and the Canadian Video Game Museum, a student venture team project that will be exhibiting at the Museum of Vancouver this summer.
The experience offered visitors a firsthand look at immersive prototypes, applied research projects and multidisciplinary work developed through collaborations between students, faculty, industry and community partners.
The visit reinforced CDM’s evolving role within Vancouver’s Creative District and highlighted the increasing interest in BC’s creative technology sector from investors, industry leaders, and global partners. By connecting industry with emerging talent, applied research and multidisciplinary collaboration, CDM continues to help position British Columbia as a competitive destination for real investment and innovation.