Teck Week 2022 is a week-long event bringing together tech leaders, founders, talent investors and more, but the week wouldn’t be complete without talking about the emerging automobility sector.
“It’s a really big festival and week, a collaborative week to celebrate technology, entrepreneurship and innovation,” says Yvonne Pilon, the president of the WETech Alliance, which is spearheading the fifth annual event.
It features a full slate of discussions with industry leaders, promoting women entrepreneurs, fostering innovation and tech predictions.
“It’s not like we pick these themes out of a hat. It’s strategic,” says Pilon, noting the timing for that discussion is ripe as the region awaits official news of a massive battery plant investment from Stellantis and LG.
“Landing a big fish is going to be very helpful, not only for our local economy, but Ontario and Canada as a whole,” says Matthew Johnson, the director of mobility partnerships and innovation at Invest Windsor-Essex.
Johnson wouldn’t provide comment regarding the potential EV battery plant investment, but said it’s no secret Invest Windsor-Essex has been chasing a number of leads in the EV battery space to invest in the region.
Those close to the file say landing an investment of that magnitude could translate thousands of new jobs.
“You get not only the battery assembly piece, but you get battery pack, battery recycling, charging infrastructure companies, battery chemistry companies,” says Johnson, not to mention more opportunities for the already well-established tool, mold and die sector.
“It would be an absolute game-changer to secure something like that,” he says.
The local automobility sector is growing, with a handful of small and medium sized enterprises already established in the region.
“I think it’s really critical that we go with the industry and the trend because we want to be the leaders of this disruption, and not the victims of it for our local economy,” says Johnson.
If the Stellantis investment comes to fruition, Johnson believes the market for more companies working in the development of artificial intelligence, machine learning, cyber security and electrification could soon expand a well.
“We are really laser focused and committed on becoming the automobility capital of Canada,” says Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, who also wouldn’t confirm the Stellantis investment. “We are absolutely committed to delivering on this because we, by and large, that the future of the community is at stake here.”
“Sometimes it does take one to spark that, to attract talent, so I think we’ve got a lot of assets,” says WETech’s Yvonne Pilon. “Now it’s about turning the switch on. And I think weeks like TeCK Week do that.”
TeCK Week YQG is a virtual and free event running March 21 to 27. Full details and registration for the event can be found herand.