While Greater Victoria's tech sector continues to be an economic force for the region, a local entrepreneur is looking to improve safety for motorcycle users in Southeast Asia as deaths related to motorcycles continue to skyrocket.

Ivan Ting, a longtime businessman mostly based in Hong Kong and China, started Victoria-based Startec Dynamics in 2021 with the goal of developing and selling a software system to improve safety and lower theft of motorcycles.

"One day when I was doing a business trip in Cambodia, I [did] some test drives for a motorcycle.  And [I thought] if I have a motorcycle accident, then my family will be the last one to know what happened to me. That thinking scared me a bit," he said.

In developing countries, motorcycle deaths are largely over-represented in vehicle-related fatalities. In Indonesia, Ting said, there are upwards of 20,000 motorcycle-related deaths every year.

Over the past few years, Startec Dynamics created the Athena smart system for personal phones, which sends emergency alerts if a rider crashes. It also provides anti-theft management with engine remote control and a tracking system, as well as traffic detection and an integrated smart display while riding.

"We are launched in Cambodia right now. And our first client is a local Cambodia SME motorcycle brand, and they use our system," he said.

He chose to base his business in Victoria for a multitude of reasons, but a big part of it is the region's close connections to the Southeast Asian markets and suppliers, which he says has contributed to an uptick in tech entrepreneurs from Asia, especially Hong Kong, making their way to Victoria.

"There are great opportunities, great potential, more connection and more opportunity between Canada and Asian countries, he said, touting the quality mechanics, education, engineers and computer experts found in Canada.

Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology & Entrepreneurship Council (VIATEC) CEO Dan Gunn agreed that Victoria is a growing hotspot for tech entrepreneurs from across the globe, but it has proven to be an economic force in the region for years.

"It's been our number one industry economically based on revenue since 2007," said Gunn. "It's an important economic engine for the region, and it continues to grow and thrive. It surprises a lot of people because we're known for tea and flowers and old England and things like that, but the tech sector has been a dominant force for a long time."

He says it's no surprise as the region is home to three post-secondary institutions, 10 per cent of the population is post-secondary students, there's a high number of federal research facilities, and it's home to "the best lifestyle in Canada."

The local tech sector is quite diversified, says Gunn, in that many local companies sell their products to customers outside of Victoria, and Canada.

"They work well together because their competition is elsewhere," he said. "And so, we build these really great B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ what we call micro-niche companies B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ companies that are one of a handful of companies in the world that can do the specialty that they do. And they continue to grow and thrive here."

Although the region has strong marine and defence technology sectors, there is no shortage of different sub-sectors of tech making their way across the Island, including the emerging life-sciences and biotech sectors which was the focus of a recent report by the South Island Prosperity Partnership.

"If you can do it anywhere, then why not do it in Victoria? It's very common for people to want to focus in on a specific cluster of some kind or a specific subsector. But what's really important is that we provide the healthy ecosystem for entrepreneurs and innovators to succeed regardless of their area of focus," he says.

During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the local sector seems to have thrived compared to other industries as employees and employers quickly adapted to changes in work location and business delivery.

Gunn says they've seen the amount of people working completely remotely triple since the pandemic. Currently, around 40 per cent of tech employees are working in an office full time, around 40 per cent are working in hybrid environments, and 20 per cent are working completely remotely; whereas in the pre-pandemic era, 80 per cent of employees were in the office.

Overall, Gunn and VIATEC B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ which aims to support the local tech sector B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ expect Victoria's tech sector to grow even more in the coming years as Tectoria, a name coined by VIATEC, proves to be a paramount destination for entrepreneurs and tech-hopefuls alike.

"The level of expertise and sophistication and the depth of the experience within our sector, we continue to see that grow," he concluded. "As that grows, the capabilities and the potential of all of our tech companies grows with it. We're now having multiple companies employing hundreds of people instead of dozens of people, and that changes what's possible."