Calgary and Edmonton– Alberta’s two big cities have come together to launch the Alberta Innovation Corridor, a joint initiative founded and funded by Calgary Economic Development, Innovate Edmonton and Platform Calgary, organizations responsible for growing and developing the technology startup ecosystem in our province.
The Alberta Innovation Corridor will be a sustained effort to link the innovation ecosystems in Calgary and Edmonton and present as one region on the world stage, where we’re competing for talent, capital and momentum. Innovation ecosystems move at a rapid pace. The Alberta Innovation Corridor is focused on four near-term priorities to drive provincial prosperity forward:
- Securing an artificial intelligence accelerator is a major milestone in attracting investment to our province, while fostering the next generation of high potential startups.
- Launch joint marketing initiatives elevating the visibility and understanding of the ecosystem for local and non-local markets. This will include greater shared presence at marquee tech events across North America and globally.
- Partnering with global leaders like Startup Genome to provide proven policy recommendations that will enable an increase in startup access to early-stage funding.
- Driving shared innovation and technology benchmarking that provides valuable insights aligned with global best-practices.
Innovate Edmonton Vice President Cheryll Watson and Platform Calgary CEO Dr. Terry Rock are co-Chairs of the Alberta Innovation Corridor.
Quotes
“In order to develop a robust ecosystem of scaled-up tech companies in Alberta, we need to create the conditions where it’s really easy to start up and be supported in growth ambitions. The Alberta Innovation Corridor will focus on supporting our entrepreneurs and technology commercializers to give as many of them as possible a chance to make meaningful impact.”
– Cheryll Watson, Alberta Innovation Corridor Edmonton co-Chair
“Together, we’re a region of 2.8 million of the best educated, youngest and most ambitious people in the world. Calgary and Edmonton can form an innovation corridor that puts us on the map globally, and builds and propels the new tech-enabled enterprises that will drive our prosperity throughout the 21st century. Together we’ll bring an established accelerator program to Alberta to connect our entrepreneurs to the networks, experience and capital that will give them the chance to shine.”
– Dr. Terry Rock, Alberta Innovation Corridor Calgary co-Chair
“Calgary in the New Economy sets the strategy for the digital transformation across our core industries. There is incredible opportunity for companies and research institutes in each city to team up in tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges: clean energy, safe food, efficient transportation and better health solutions. Together we are a corridor that can have true global impact.”
– Court Ellingson, Alberta Innovation Corridor Founding Funder
Learn more about the Alberta Innovation Corridor at: www.abcorridor.com