We are gearing up for the WT | Wearable Technologies conference in Toronto, Canada on September 10th! For this event, WT | Wearable Technologies has partner with MaRS to provide the wearable ecosystem with a phenomenal experience! Below is an interview we had with our trusted partner Tom Emrich.
- MaRS is partnering with WT | Wearable Technologies for our Toronto conference. Can you share with the WT community how MaRS is involved in the wearable industry, apart from our conference?
MaRS is the community partner for We Are Wearables Toronto, the largest wearables community on Meetup.com in the world. Every month, the Toronto community rallies together in the auditorium and lower concourse to discover, discuss and demo wearable tech. On stage we host thought leaders and pioneers who present their tech and engage in discussions around how this new wave of computing is impacting all parts of our professional and personal lives. In the lower concourse, the audience goes hands-on with tech in the demo area.
In addition to We Are Wearables, MaRS Discovery District Centre also hosts many hackathons and conferences in the wearable and emerging technology space and is the home to many wearable tech companies.
- Canada has an amazing influx of wearable start-ups within the past year. What separates Canadians design enthusiasm for wearables from other countries?
Canada is definitely an epicenter for wearable tech and our strength in this area can be traced back as far as the birth of wearable tech. The father of wearable tech, Steve Mann, is from Toronto, Canada and he continues to invent and inspire in the city. If you look at the Canadian wearable landscape you will find that the wearable startups here are all creating game changing technology rather than me-too devices and are all out to solve a specific set of needs through this tech.
- WT | Wearable Technologies will provide an international audience within our diverse ecosystem to the Toronto conference on September 10. From your point of view, what are Canadian companies looking to gain within the wearable industry (from partnerships, funding, etc.)?
In order for the future of connected things to happen we need to work together as a community. Bringing together a diverse global audience will only help strengthen this community by introducing new opportunities to partner, invest or even just swap stories and form a support system.
- How do you predict the future of wearables to influence the Canadian market/culture?
Medicine, enterprise and communication are three areas I see being impacted by wearables here in Canada and across the globe. As we continue to connect ourselves and the world around us it will open up new opportunities for us to better know ourselves, each other and the world around us mainly through data but also through new forms of expression and experiences. My hope is that Canadian companies continue to solve real problems and continue to beat their own drum to help lead the charge.
- Lastly, what is your favorite wearable product?
I continue to be blown away by my experiences in virtual reality and really appreciate how mobile-powered solutions like Cardboard and GearVR are bringing VR to the masses. But you will see me sporting a smartwatch and a wearable camera daily.
