Skeena Innovation (I2) Centre

With many letters of support in hand from regional partners, SNCIRE is pursuing funding for a viability study of the Skeena Innovation Centre concept. The study will help form a cohesive idea for the centre, identify potential partners, funding for next steps (ie a feasibility study) and potential locations.

No hands-on environmental or science centre exists in Northwest BC. Museum artifacts in some communities are deteriorating and desperately need a home. Innovators are struggling for support and need a space to incubate and test products. And many artisans lack the space they need to create and display their work.

The Skeena  Innovation Centre – a regional centre for learning, understanding, developing, testing and producing Northwest BC products and artifacts - can solve these problems and create a valuable regional resource. The Centre will combine museum artifacts with current day inventions; and environmental resources with hands-on science-based learning and artisan displays. The Centre will enable local inventors and artisans to incubate ideas with pilot projects and prototypes.

Benefits

• Permanent location for regionally relevant displays that inspire and teach about our lands and resources
• Permanent home for museum artifacts within an innovation theme
• Central space to incubate new inventions, further discussion, design prototypes and pilot projects
• Tourist draw and local attraction for all seasons
• Economic opportunities through displays and sales of regional art, products and inventions

Rationale
Combining human ingenuity with natural resources solves problems. Historical inventions - often found in museums - can spawn new innovations, while understanding the environmental assets of Northwest BC can inspire new ways to generate wealth and well-being. Having space and support available to develop pilot projects and prototypes, takes innovations and product ideas out of inventors’ minds and into the market place.