VANCOUVER, B.C., July 9, 2025 - Through the Province’s Integrated Marketplace (IM) program, delivered by Innovate BC, $2.83 million in funding has been awarded to four projects to continue testing digital pathology tools and expanding a provincial digital pathology cloud solution to support improved access to timely diagnostic services for British Columbians living with diseases like cancer.
"Through our Integrated Marketplace initiative, B.C. is unlocking opportunities for local companies to grow their businesses and advance technologies while creating and sustaining high quality jobs for British Columbians," said Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. "These four digital pathology projects highlight B.C.'s commitment to tackling health care challenges with made-in-B.C. solutions that create good jobs and grow our economy.”
The Integrated Marketplace Provincial Health testbed, hosted by the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), was launched last year with an initial three projects focused on supporting the adoption of digital pathology technology and systems. Provincial Laboratory Medicine Services (PLMS) – in coordination with the Northern Health Authority, Vancouver Coastal Health, BC Cancer – Vancouver Centre, and Providence Health Care – St. Paul’s Hospital – has focused on utilizing scanners to digitize tissue sample slides to deploy digital pathology workflows in the diagnosis of cancer and renal diseases.
The latest projects support solution providers Quartech Systems, Affinity, Novatone Consulting and Daric Clouding Solutions to work with PLMS and the above-mentioned healthcare centres to:
- Test AI’s impact on workflows for anatomical pathology for prostate cancer and deploy locally-developed AI algorithms for endometrial cancer pathology at Vancouver Coastal Health, integrating these use-cases to enhance the architecture of the provincial digital pathology cloud solution.
- Integrate all involved local laboratories into a shared cloud infrastructure, requiring an assessment of network connectivity, secure data transmission, and an alignment of infrastructure.
- Analyze the performance and cost comparisons of utilizing a digital pathology system and workflow and create a playbook of lessons learned with analysis informing further scaling of the provincial digital pathology cloud solution.
- Deploy and test the playbook to onboard a Fraser Health Authority laboratory to the provincial digital pathology cloud solution, demonstrating how the solution can be scaled to include new adopters throughout the province.
These projects enable digital tools to be tested within a broader system, reducing the barriers for individual health organizations to adopt new technologies. The resulting data and insights will guide future investments to enhance and expand the provincial digital pathology cloud solution – supporting continued improvements in health service delivery, particularly in rural and remote areas.
“This initiative is a made-in-B.C. success story—uniting health organizations and local companies to build innovative, AI-enabled solutions that will modernize pathology across the province,” says Craig Ivany, Chief Provincial Diagnostic Officer, Provincial Health Services Authority. “By investing in digital tools and local talent, PHSA is not only advancing faster, more connected care for patients today, but also shaping the future of diagnostics in B.C.”
“Innovation in healthcare isn’t just about advancing technology, it’s about improving outcomes for patients, empowering providers, and building more resilient systems that can have impact across communities, and that’s what we’re working towards through this partnership with PHSA,” said Peter Cowan, President + CEO, Innovate BC. “Through the Integrated Marketplace, local innovators are helping transform pathology services across the province and, at the same time, working to earn a valuable reference customer that can help their businesses grow - that’s good for our health sector, our economy, and for all British Columbians.”
This announcement follows the recent news from the Government of Canada, through PacifiCan, of an investment of over $1.8 million, to support the integration of AI innovation into two Integrated Marketplace projects, including $800,000 towards advancing a project at the Health testbed evaluating the integration of AI into the digital pathology workflow to more effectively analyze digital images of tissue sample slides.
Created to help drive innovation in the province, the Integrated Marketplace program supports projects that connect strategic partners operating at one of four testbeds to B.C.-based solution providers to implement, scale, and export B.C. technology solutions. The Integrated Marketplace’s unique framework allows B.C. industries to receive assistance and reduce the risks in adopting innovation and new technologies, boosting their productivity and competitiveness, while connecting these solution providers with valuable Canadian reference customers that support their growth.
This announcement is part of the Government of B.C.’s investment in the Integrated Marketplace, which includes an initial commitment of $11.5 million and the Government of Canada’s investment, through PacifiCan, of $9.9 million, with an additional $30 million from the Government of B.C. announced for investment over the next three years.
Additional Quotes
The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada
“PacifiCan invested in the Integrated Marketplace because innovators across B.C. are harnessing cutting-edge tools, including AI, to tackle today’s health challenges. This investment ensures that B.C.’s creative entrepreneurs have the support they need to develop and scale their solutions—advancing new technologies and building a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy.”
Mike Rae, Senior Account Executive, Affinity Group
"Affinity was thrilled to contribute to the provincial digital pathology cloud solution by leading clinical stakeholders to standardize DICOM specifications, enabling information sharing and enhanced diagnostic workflows. We are proud of our collaboration with PHSA through the Integrated Marketplace having helped to accelerate the adoption of innovative, pathology solutions across our province."
Christine Martinez, Client Executive, Quartech
“Quartech is a proud B.C. company grateful for the opportunity to work with PHSA through the Integrated Marketplace to deliver secure, scalable digital health solutions like the Digital Pathology project. The testbed showed how cloud and AI enablement can transform diagnostics workflows, creating a strong foundation for innovation and better patient outcomes across B.C.”
Melanie Mogus & Helena Trudel, Owners, Novatone Consulting Ltd.
“Novatone Consulting is proud to have supported Northern Health and PHSA in this groundbreaking digital pathology initiative, delivering project and process management that helped bridge innovation with frontline diagnostics. Our involvement in the Integrated Marketplace program exemplifies how local partnerships can streamline adoption and bring faster, more equitable care to rural and remote communities across the province.”
Mahdi Mobini, PhD, Managing Director, Daric Clouding Solutions Inc.
“As a growing B.C.-based technology consulting firm, Daric Clouding Solutions is proud to bring cloud-native, innovative solutions to one of the province’s most impactful healthcare transformations. The Integrated Marketplace provided us with a rare opportunity to co-create alongside public health and global partners, scale real-world solutions that matter — and we’re now well-positioned to continue advancing digital pathology and bring this innovation to other parts of Canada and beyond.”
Media Contact
Rebecca Strathearn
Communications Coordinator
rstrathearn@innovatebc.ca
604-602-5236
About Innovate BC
A Crown Agency of British Columbia, Innovate BC works to foster innovation across the province and bolster the growth of the local economy through delivering a wide range of programs that help companies start and scale, access talent and encourage technology development, commercialization, and adoption. Innovate BC also harnesses crucial data collection and research, and works to forge strategic industry and community partnerships that create more opportunities for B.C. innovators.
About the Provincial Health Services Authority
The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) provides specialized health care services and programs to communities across British Columbia, the territories of many distinct First Nations. We are grateful to all the First Nations who have cared for and nurtured this land for all time, including the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səlil̓w̓ətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations on whose unceded and ancestral territory our head office is located. We work in partnership with other B.C. health authorities and the provincial government to deliver province-wide solutions that improve the health of British Columbians. For more information, visit www.phsa.ca or follow us @PHSAofBC.
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