Image Credit: CFJC Today/Kamloops Innovartion

By Adam Donnelly

KAMLOOPS INNOVATION

New program aims to help Kamloops businesses embrace technological transformation

Jan 7, 2021 | 4:40 PM

KAMLOOPS — Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, technology was changing how businesses were run and customers were reached. As a result of the pandemic, that change has been accelerated. That’s one of the reasons for the creation of the Digital Economy: Rapid Response and Resiliency program has been developed. As CFJC Today discovered, the program has the potential to help many businesses in Kamloops and across the region.

“My fear sometimes is that this impact of COVID will have business closing and not reopening in some of the locations that they are now,” Dr. Lincoln Smith, Executive Director of Kamloops Innovation explains.

Many small- and medium-sized businesses have experienced significant revenue loss as a result of the pandemic. That’s why a coalition of organizations have come up with a plan to help these businesses. The program is called the Digital Economy: Rapid Response and Resiliency Program — or DER3, for short. The program will help connect businesses with technology experts and service providers who will:

“Meet with them, support them, and figure out a plan of how digital transformation or technology could help their business could both survive and then come out of COVID thriving,” Smith says.

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The goal is to not only reach new customers and clients but to show those businesses how technology could find efficiencies in how they operate. The Kamloops Chamber of Commerce is one of the organizations involved with DER3. Executive Director Acacia Pangilinan believes this kind of program could help many businesses throughout the region.

“Our members told us loud and clear that they need help with digital transformation,” Pangilinan says.

The program is also an opportunity for technology service providers or experts in their field to connect with the businesses who sign up. They’ll then work together to create a plan for these businesses to implement.

“The DER3 program is fantastic because it gives businesses an assessment of what digital transformation they need to undertake,” Pangilinan says. “[It] then connects them with service providers — other local businesses — that can help with whatever digital transformation that is.”

The program is being funded by the province through Innovate BC, as well as Western Economic Diversification Canada. Creating the plan will come at no cost to the business and Smith believes there is the possibility of funding to implement those plans could be available down the road.

“There’s no funding to have the work done. We will connect you with the service providers I mentioned. But I think that’s coming,” Smith says. “I think that support will be coming in the New Year to help those businesses implement the plans that they come up with.”

Since the program was first announced, more than 20 businesses have signed up. For more information, you can visit www.kamloopsinnovation.ca/der3.