Alberta’s innovation industry is gaining momentum

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2022 is already a milestone for Alberta’s technology sector, as entrepreneurs and governments embrace the opportunity to diversify the state economy.

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At a press conference in April announcing the government’s innovation strategy for Alberta, Jobs Economy Innovation Minister Doug Schweizer said:

“The momentum, growth, opportunities and jobs that have been created in Alberta’s technology and innovation arena over the last two years have surprised many of us,” he said.

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According to Schweitzer, record growth in this sector is creating jobs, attracting venture capital and stimulating a new kind of entrepreneurship in the state. “People who used to set up oilfield service companies,” he said. “Currently in Alberta, many of them are launching technology companies.”

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The government’s goal is to recognize Alberta internationally as a technology and innovation hub by 2030, create 20,000 new jobs for state technology companies, and generate an additional $ 5 billion in revenue.

The technology sector in the Edmonton region is booming, said Chris MacLeod, vice president of marketing and communications for global Edmonton, an economic development company that promotes Edmonton and the region as an ideal place for investment in Canada and the world. I am saying.

“In 2021, CBRE ranked the Edmonton region as the fastest growing technology market in North America,” says MacLeod. “The numbers have just begun to come out in the last year and are very strong again.”

Statistics show that more than 34,000 people in the region are engaged in technology, accounting for about 5.7% of total employment and continuing to grow.

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“Technology is undoubtedly becoming a big part of our economy and is being incorporated into more traditional industries such as agriculture, energy, global logistics and manufacturing. Technology is not just technology, it’s our economy. We can supply fuel to every part. “

According to MacLeod, this growth is primarily to enable decades of outstanding research by higher education institutions, especially the University of Alberta. “It’s a great talent here, and it’s attracting the attention of the world’s largest tech company, which has recently invested and continues to grow its team here.”

Examples include DeepMind, Google Brain, Microsoft, Apple, and local businesses such as Jobber, AltaML, BioWare, and Granify.

“It was [also] We see significant advances in technology in pharmaceuticals, life sciences, construction, education, logistics, manufacturing, video games, and more.

This story was created by ContentWorks, Postmedia’s commercial content division.