Federal investment spurs innovation in Alberta’s construction industry

Minister Vandal made the announcement of over $3.5 million in federal funding in a visit to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). This investment will help small- and medium-sized firms innovating in clean energy technologies and remotely controlled aerial vehicle applications.

March 16, 2022 – Calgary, Alberta – Prairies Economic Development Canada

Alberta businesses are developing innovative solutions in clean energy and advancing new applications for remotely controlled aerial vehicles. Targeted investments by the Government of Canada to local institutions will support these businesses as they commercialize their products, technologies and services, and continue to scale up.

Today, the Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, visited the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) and announced a federal investment of $3.5 million in three southern Alberta projects supporting small- and medium-sized companies to innovate, grow and compete globally.

The following initiatives are receiving federal support:

• $1.43 million will enable the SAIT in Calgary to help commercialize emerging, high-growth potential clean technologies for Alberta’s energy sector. Funding will support SAIT’s Centre for Energy Research in Clean Unconventional Technology Solutions, Centre for Innovation and Research in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials (CIRAMM) and Green Building Technologies (GBT) to work with industry and smaller firms to test and demonstrate clean energy applications such as battery, hydrogen, and water technologies. Alberta Innovates is also providing $325,000 for this initiative.
• $860,000 will enable SAIT’s Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems to train small- and medium-sized businesses in demonstrating next-generation unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This will help advance the use of UAVs for key applications such as monitoring industrial operations and energy pipelines, and floodplain mapping.
• $1.26 million will help the Village of Foremost to establish the Beyond Visual Line of Sight Innovation Centre at the Foremost UAS Test Range and develop a training program for companies. This new funding brings total PrairiesCan funding for Beyond Visual Line of Sight flight testing at the Foremost UAS Test Range to $1.86 million.

Today’s investment is expected to support over 240 innovative Alberta businesses and help create nearly 200 jobs.