One of the biggest wins for our industry came this spring with two major provincial policy achievements. The Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit was increased to 25%, and B.C.’s film and TV production tax credits were also increased, strengthening the competitiveness of our animation and VFX studios.
Across DigiBC, we expanded our support for emerging talent, helping creative tech employers establish and fill more than 170 student placements through our Work Placement Program. We also established a new partnership with Netflix to support education initiatives, including a new scholarship fund and expansion of our DigiCamps for kids.
On the events front, Signals Creative Tech Expo returned with momentum, introducing new elements to foster multi-platform partnerships and co-productions across film, series, and video games – while celebrating groundbreaking immersive works by some of the creators, digital storytellers, and technologists who make B.C.’s scene unique. In addition, our active participation in the lead-up to and delivery of Web Summit Vancouver this past May was an exciting opportunity to elevate our sector’s profile on an international stage.
Across the sector, our member companies celebrated phenomenal milestones this year, developing globally recognized entertainment products, launching exciting homegrown IP, attracting new investment and partnerships, and receiving recognition for quality and innovation.
Together, these achievements underscore something important: our creative-tech ecosystem is not only growing – it’s becoming more ambitious, collaborative and resilient than ever before.
Thank you for being part of this journey. We look forward to building on this year’s momentum and continuing to champion the people, projects, and partnerships that shape B.C.’s creative tech future.
Warm wishes for a joyful holiday season, and here’s to a successful, healthy, and happy 2026.
Warm regards,
Loc Dao, Executive Director, DigiBC
This year, DigiBC expanded its education programs to inspire young learners and upskill aspiring creators, from coding camps and scholarships to micro-credentials that grow the skills our sector needs most.
New Scholarships for Animation & VFX Students
Huge news for creative tech education! This year, we’re kicking off a brand-new scholarship program – our first-ever Creative Technology Gateway Scholarships – made possible by Netflix’s recent multi-year investment in DigiBC education initiatives.
Beginning in 2026, aspiring animators and VFX artists in B.C. will have access to fully funded training opportunities at two of our province’s leading institutions:
- Three full tuition scholarships for eligible students at Vancouver Film School (VFS). Applications open December 1, 2025.
- Six funded seats in Vancouver Community College’s summer Production for Animation & VFX micro-credential course. Applications will open in early spring 2026.
These scholarships are part of DigiBC’s broader effort to expand access to high-quality creative technology education – and open new avenues for careers in animation and VFX.
DigiCamps Are Expanding for 2026!
In 2025, our partner UTG Academy put on a fantastic series of summer DigiCamps, teaching girls aged 11–13 to code in a fun and interactive environment. These hands-on workshops, led by expert instructors from UTG – and generously supported by A Thinking Ape – provided learners with the skills needed to build video games from the ground up. 🎮 💡
Right now, we’re working on some exciting changes to DigiCamps for 2026 – expanding our curriculum and delivery footprint, building on our partnership with UTG, and welcoming a new delivery partner for 2026.
We will be sharing more details about these exciting new developments in the new year. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more or are interested in supporting DigiCamps, we’d love to hear from you!
DigiConnect: Building Meaningful Mentorships in Creative Tech
This fall, we piloted DigiConnect, a mentorship network designed to bring B.C.’s creative tech community closer together.
Our first four-month “pilot of the pilot” paired 24 mentors and 26 mentees, and was supported by two engaging workshops, Mentorship 101, equipping participants with tools to set and achieve realistic goals, and Minding the Gaps, developed with the Centre for Digital Media, exploring how culture, confidence, and context shape communication.
We’re building a mentorship community rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and inclusion – and we’d love for you to be part of it. If you have 4+ years of experience in creative tech and want to give back, join us!
Bite-Sized Learning for Busy Pros: Micro-Credentials in Creative Tech
Have you ever thought about going back to school – but couldn’t meet the time commitment of a full program? Micro-credentials are flexible courses, designed to help learners reskill or upskill at their own pace. 🚀
For several years, DigiBC has partnered with a number of B.C. post-secondary institutions to develop, launch, and deliver micro-credentials in creative technology fields.
Currently available programs:
➡️ Production for Animation and VFX and Project Management for Video Games, VCC
➡️ Human Centred AI and Creative Technology, SFU School for Interactive Arts & Technology (SIAT). ✨Now offering a limited-time 50% discount.✨
➡️ Building Blocks of Digital Media, and the free course Minding the Gaps: Communicating Across Differences, CDM.
These courses provide accessible pathways for people to build skills needed for our industry – and they’re also a great opportunity for industry experts to participate in course development and delivery.
In 2025, DigiBC strengthened the pathways that connect emerging talent with meaningful careers in creative tech, linking students and jobseekers with real-world experience, industry mentors, and other opportunities across B.C.
The DigiBC Work Placement Program: Our First Year is Complete!
Since its inception as a pilot project supported by B.C.’s Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, DigiBC’s Work Placement Program (WPP) has been on a mission to equip B.C. post-secondary students with the experience, skills, and confidence to thrive in creative tech careers – by helping them get real-world industry experience under their belts. 💪
To date, we’ve delivered 170+ student placements, connecting B.C. post-secondary talent with employers across creative tech and supporting their on-the-job experience with additional resources like our new mentoring program DigiConnect, and tailored workshops developed in partnership with Vancouver Community College.
As DigiBC’s WPP grows, so does its potential to shape the future of creative tech in British Columbia, creating opportunities for the next generation of talent to stay, learn, and innovate close to home.
Over the course of 2025, with the support of members, partners and sponsors, DigiBC helped bring to life some incredible experiences across the creative tech spectrum – showcasing B.C. success stories and supporting emerging artists along the way.
The Signals Creative Tech Expo & XR Lab
Our Signals 2025 expo once again played a pivotal role in strengthening our ecosystem and spotlighting the unique extended-reality (XR) scene that’s thriving in B.C. and across Canada. Signals gave local creators a space to connect, collaborate on new narrative forms, and inspire audiences to engage with the pressing conversations of our time.
Through our XR Lab, we supported 12 projects as they developed bold new ideas – from therapeutic self-reflection tools to intergenerational storytelling and immersive works centring Indigenous worldviews.
Dream, Build, Play: Creative Tech at Science World
If you haven’t checked out Science World’s Creative Technology Gallery yet, this is your sign! Developed with DigiBC and co-presented by RBC and Beedie, the gallery opened in 2023 and is designed to inspire K–12 students and families to explore careers in animation, VFX, video games, and XR.
Since opening, the gallery has welcomed more than a million visitors and earned a national CASC Award for innovation, leadership, and impact in making science accessible.
Our partnership is going strong, and this fall, Science World launched the gallery’s second exhibition, Animation Adventure with Molly of Denali, inviting visitors into the world of the acclaimed animated series produced by GBH Kids and Vancouver’s Atomic Cartoons. Through three themed rooms – Dream, Build, and Play – guests can move from storyboards and timing into hands-on animation and FX, then step into a 360-degree Northern Lights finale that brings Molly’s story to life.
We’re excited about what’s ahead, and we look forward to partnering on more with Science World in the future!
Another key area of focus for DigiBC in 2025 was sector capacity-building, and equipping B.C. creators and studios with tools, support, and resources to shine on the global stage.
Web Summit Vancouver: Showcasing B.C. Innovation on a World Stage
This past May, the Metro Vancouver region hosted Web Summit for the first time. DigiBC and its member companies played a key role in showcasing B.C.’s diverse creative technology sector at this international tech conference.
Between the B.C. Pavilion and DigiBC’s Startup Island feature, we showcased more than 20 B.C. studios, boosting international visibility and forging new partnerships. We also strengthened investor relations, with ILM Vancouver and Kabam Games hosting international investors as part of the Invest Vancouver sector tour. In addition, DigiBC had the opportunity to host the first-ever creative technology Centre Stage panel, featuring Natali Altshuler, COO of EA SPORTS and DigiBC Board Member, alongside Activision CMO Tyler Bahl.
Web Summit Vancouver is set to return again May 11–14, 2026, and we’re already involved in the planning process, continuing to identify and leverage new opportunities for B.C.’s creative tech community.
Beta Lounge & XP Indie Biz Connect
With the support of members, partners and sponsors, DigiBC has established two new B2B spaces for the creative tech industry in 2025: Beta Lounge and XP Indie Biz Connect.
Beta Lounge brings together video game industry professionals to exchange bold ideas and strategic insights, and create opportunities to collaborate and accelerate creative growth. Launched in 2024 as part of our Signals Creative Tech Expo, Beta Lounge expanded in 2025 into a bi-annual program – and this year it was more successful than ever, with growing support from Creative BC, Kabam, and Xsolla.
XP Indie Biz Connect is an initiative launched in 2024, providing indie creators with opportunities to develop knowledge, tools, and relationships needed to scale studios, expand networks, and take their creative ideas to the next level.
Both Beta Lounge and XP Indie Biz Connect will be back in 2026, so watch for more!