Roundtable host: Michael Bidu

British Columbia's unique economic landscape offers a distinct opportunity for robotics innovation, but it also presents specific challenges. Our strengths lie in natural resources, a robust maritime sector, and a dynamic clean tech sector. These sectors—including marine, forestry, mining, and agriculture —are ripe for robotics, automation and AI, but face a skills and knowledge gap, talent shortage, a lack of capital, and fragmented regulation. This roundtable will design a targeted Public-Private Partnership (PPP) that directly leverages BC’s unique assets to solve its most urgent productivity problems.

BC’s diverse economy sees a great opportunity in the adoption of robotics solutions in manufacturing, construction, warehousing, oceantech, logistics and the services sector, with major exports including lumber, paper, metals and coal. 

We invite leaders from industry, academia, government, and investment to collaboratively design a targeted PPP (Public Private Partnership) that will accelerate the adoption of robotics, automation, drones and AI to innovate BC's core industries.

Agenda

1. BC's Robotics Cluster (30 minutes)

• The "Smart Resources" Strategy: We'll explore how BC's core industries—forestry (pulp and paper), forestry, marine, and agriculture—can become a global market for robotics innovation and commercialization. We'll discuss applications like robot arms, AMRs, autonomous drones for fire monitoring, robotic systems for precision agriculture, and autonomous systems for open waters and ports.
• Case Studies: 
• Pulp and Paper Mills Need Automation: The urgent need to respond to safety standards, productivity and efficiency from global competition.
• Forestry & Wildfire Management: The use of autonomous drones and robotic systems for wildfire monitoring and precision logging can lower the risk, reduce costs and increase safety.
• Agriculture: The role of automated harvesting robots (e.g., in mushroom farming) and AI-driven systems for crop management. We will reference companies like 4AG Robotics and their success in addressing a critical labor shortage with automated picking robots.
• Marine: The role of autonomous systems in port and open water applications. 

2. Designing a targeted PPP Framework (45 minutes)

• Talent & R&D: Brainstorm how to build a dedicated talent pipeline to support these specific industries. This could involve creating specialized curricula and linking them directly to the needs of the natural resource sectors.
• Capital & Procurement: We'll address the "scale-up" problem by exploring how government procurement can act as a crucial early-stage customer for BC robotics firms, helping them secure contracts and attract investment.
• National Collaboration: We will define a focused role for BC as the "Natural Resource Robotics Hub" within a national network. We will specifically explore collaboration with other provinces and robotics clusters, to solve shared challenges like labor shortages, productivity, and safety in remote work.

3. Action Plan (15 minutes)

• Identify a small, dedicated working group to draft the foundational PPP document.
• Outline a plan to secure initial "expressions of interest" for a BC robotics cluster from key partners by the end of 2025.

Expected Outcomes

• BC's Robotics Cluster: A clear narrative for BC as a global leader in "Smart Resource Robotics."
• A PPP Blueprint: A concrete framework for a provincial PPP that addresses talent, capital, and procurement.
• A "Made-in-BC" Talent Strategy: A design for a training and R&D initiative to build a sustainable skilled workforce for BC’s unique industries.