The unique blend of data scientist, economist, and Swedish dairy farmer all rolled into regular updates on our region, economics, and trends. Keep checking back for this regularly updated blog by our own Tomas Nilsson, PhD. and bite-sized essayist.

New data on export growth shows the Edmonton Metropolitan Region leading Canada – at more than double the national average.

Jobber, an Edmonton software company, was recognized by Canadian Business magazine as the second-fastest growing software company in Canada.

The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) has launched Amii Innovates, a program aimed to guides teams and businesses in AI adoption.

Amii Innovates is one of four program areas within Amii, and works closely with Alberta-based businesses to grow their internal AI capabilities.

Already the largest manufacturer of bags and plastic wrap in Quebec, Polykar is aiming for 100 million sales by building a new plant in Alberta that will double its production. Despite the bad reputation of plastic, the packaging industry is increasing its sales by “5 to 6% a year”.

Polykar, a leading Canadian manufacturer of flexible packaging including polyethylene film, certified compostable bags, garbage bags as well as food and industrial grade liners, today announced it has acquired a site to construct a new state-of-the-art plant in Edmonton, Alberta.

Western Economic Diversification Canada announced over $27 million in new investments for 23 projects across the Edmonton Metropolitan Region. Funding for these projects is provided through three programs that foster innovation.

A report released Wednesday, detailing the state of Edmonton’s tech industry, says the city has the ability to become a ‘multi-billion-dollar tech hub.’

The Downtown Business Association argues for increased tech-oriented buildings, a downtown accelerator, talent retention, collaboration between organizations and enhancing urban infrastructure in the downtown core in its new report, “Accelerating Tech in Downtown Edmonton: Impacts and Opportunities.”

“There’s a lot of hidden gems of tech companies in the downtown, that people might not have even heard of, that are global and that are doing amazing things with hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue,”

Connie Stacey is in the energy storing business, which is perfect given that she’s full of energy. She’s the mastermind behind Growing Greener Innovations, and hopes to bring her world-changing energy storage system to the masses.

They call it the Grengine, but it could be the answer to global energy poverty, as well as blackouts and unreliable power literally anywhere. 

How Uproot is growing a regional local food movement.

A company wanting others to grow quickly in their own industry might sound strange to competitors, but that’s exactly what the Uproot Food Collective is all about.

In 1996, Angela Santiago and her father, Jacob van der Schaaf, ⁠decided it was time to test out a big idea for little potatoes. 

Aiming to boost the biotech landscape in Edmonton, Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation has enlisted veteran biotech executive Robert Foster’s Hepion Pharmaceuticals, along with about 19 other companies, to help turn university research into pharmaceutical products.

Autonomous vehicles are hitting the streets — and the region’s City of Beaumont is ready to  take the wheel.  

Their recent pilot project introduced the region to ELA — an electric-powered, driverless shuttle that is Canada’s first-ever pilot of an autonomous shuttle in mixed use traffic.

ConocoPhillips says that the largest mobile land rig in North America is on its way from a National Oilwell Varco fabrication shop in Nisku to Alaska’s North Slope, where it will unlock previously unreachable oil resources.

The co-founders of Aris MD, CEO Chandra Devam and CTO Scott Edgar, met at summer camp as eleven year old wunderkinds and bonded over their love of science fiction. As they grew up, Devam, ever the entrepreneur, hired Edgar to install carpets for one of her first businesses. 

The Edmonton International Airport expects to mark a major milestone before the end of this year — more people will be heading to the airport area to shop or work each day than to board flights.

That’s how much development around the flight centre has taken off.

An “immersive reality” product developed in Edmonton has skyrocketed all the way to NASA. Aris MD recently took top prize in the U.S. space agency’s iTech Ignite the Night pitch competition in Austin, Texas.

For the first time in Canada, a self-driving shuttle has been integrated into regular traffic.

An Electric Autonomous (ELA) vehicle pilot project has now taken over a kilometre-long stretch of 50 Street, the main road in Beaumont, Alta.

An inspirational story he heard as a child, a hot-rod car he loved as young man, and a desire to do something important with his life all helped propel Edmonton transplant surgeon Darren Freed to develop a transformative technology in organ transplantation.

Blaine McPeak Named CEO and Greg Christenson Named CFO

After graduating from the University of Alberta, Kieran Ryan, ’08 BSc, was living in central Calgary, walking to his job in the oil industry. A new car service in the city meant he didn’t need to own a car, a novel experience. Ryan and another grad decided to take the car-sharing idea back to Edmonton.

Widening of 10-mile section in Lake County allows for more options.

New studies to advance the science on CBD use and athlete health and wellness and to drive product development under new U.S. sports performance brand, ROAR Sports.

The Energizer Bunny is back.

Sam Shaw made quite the name for himself and NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) when he headed up the educational institution for 13 years, from 1997 to 2010.

An Edmonton-based cannabis retailer is planning to significantly accelerate its growth and expansion after entering into a deal with one of North America's largest operators of convenience stores and gas bars.

Temporary foreign workers with experience in Canada’s agri-food sector will have a new pathway to Canadian permanent residence starting in early 2020. 

Large institutions, from hospitals and colleges to the Edmonton Convention Centre, are looking at ways to boost their purchases of local food products.

A group of current and former students have launched a space company dedicated to observing the Earth in new ways. These students were driven to take the risk, to innovate, and to find radical solutions to modern problems.

It was July 20, 1969, and the first humans to set foot on the moon were dilly-dallying. Experiencing one-sixth gravity for the first time, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were skipping and jumping across the lunar surface.

Some Edmonton developers are honing in on the construction of warehouse space in the wake of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, suggests a new report tracking the area’s real estate market.

The first thing to do when you have a robot worth tens of thousands of dollars might not be to drop it in the water — but a University of Alberta student team is doing just that.

New funding from the federal government and partners will bolster research focused on identifying new biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists have developed a new method for detecting traces of primordial life in ancient rock formations using potassium. 

The method relies on searching for high concentrations of potassium in ancient sedimentary rocks, rather than traditional methods that look for carbon, sulfur, or nitrogen—which can appear in ancient rocks through processes unrelated to ancient life. 

An educational app created at the University of Alberta is giving cell biology students a brand new perspective on their subject and may also offer a glimpse into the not-so-distant future of post-secondary education.

Edmonton-based Aurora Cannabis has received a processing licence from Health Canada for its Aurora Air facility located near the Edmonton International Airport and two outdoor cultivation licences for sites in Quebec and British Columbia, the company announced Monday.

Improved technology can now more accurately detect a depressed mood using just the sound of your voice, according to research by the University of Alberta.

On June 20, 2019, the team at Edmonton Global set out to start a conversation. The region’s 15 mayors, including Spruce Grove’s Mayor, and the Chair of Edmonton Global’s Shareholders, Stuart Houston, were front and centre at the launch on June 20.

Dr. Stacey Hume, genetics laboratory head at University of Alberta Hospital, talks about a newborn screening program that includes additional screening. The program has already saved the life of newborn infant.

New medical therapy for treating cardiovascular disease being commercialized through a biotech startup. New University of Alberta research is paving the way for the first medical treatment to help protect people from cardiovascular disease by boosting the body’s natural defenses.

Research the key to boosting organ donation outcomes in Canada, says UAlberta’s Simon Urschel.

Simon Urschel will present new advances in organ transplantation at the third annual Festival of Health on May 25.

Organ donation is vital for saving the lives of thousands of Canadians every year. But low donor rates and a shortage of usable organs mean that each year, thousands more are left waiting for a transplant.

Modern scientific methods help decipher language and meaning of ancient manuscript. Computing scientists at the University of Alberta are using artificial intelligence to decipher an ancient manuscript.

The wheels are in motion for a relatively new campaign that brings together the 14 municipalities of the Capital Region.

A new regional economic development corporation is looking to bring the Edmonton Metropolitan Region to the global stage.

Group of 15 municipalities band together to boost capital region's international profile. In a survey that asked 22 international companies what they knew about Edmonton, 80 per cent said they'd never heard of the city. Those who did recognize the name thought of it as a cold place, disconnected from the rest of Canada.

Du pétrole au cannabis, de l’or noir à l’or vert, l’Alberta cherche à nuancer sa palette en matière de diversité économique.

Edmonton International Airport is opening the door to increased investment from Asia for the Edmonton Metro Region with its newest tenant for Airport City.

An Edmonton company is teaming up with Harvard University in hopes of proving the purported healing powers of cannabis.

A centre dedicated to helping those recovering from neuro and spinal paralysis has opened in Edmonton.

$3.4M investment will allow local company to mass-produce tiny medical devices that can monitor vital signs, help diagnose disease or even restore eyesight.

Alberta hemp farmers are betting that cannabis legalization will be a windfall for their industry, with some going so far as to draw comparisons between the distinctive jagged-leafed plant and one of Canada’s biggest agricultural success stories.

“How the hell did you guys build a world-class A.I. research group in the sub-Arctic?”

That question directed at University of Alberta computer scientist Jonathan Schaeffer came from an American professor in a warmer city.

Alberta could become a global leader in the growing plant-based food sector, but must first transition from being an exporter of raw commodities into a value-added producer.

You might think it’s a slam dunk success to be Edmonton’s fastest growing company, as well as the 55th fastest growing company in all of Canada, according to Canadian Business Magazine.

Five years ago Jay Krushell came to his wife Kim Krushell with a work-related problem that first changed her profession and is now changing the face of the commercial lending industry.

Edmonton start-up GreenGreen has created a new app that will help users purchase cannabis on credit.

It seems like overnight Alberta has emerged on the global scene as a heavy-hitter in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, with a strong cluster of innovative startups powered by these technologies. Alberta’s transforming tech ecosystem might be different than you would expect.

The energy industry gets a bad rap when it comes to innovation, yet the oilpatch is by far the largest spender on clean tech in Canada, to the tune of $1.4 billion a year. As part of its continuing coverage of the innovation economy, the Financial Post reports on the intersection of technology and energy, from the oilpatch in Alberta, off the shores of Nova Scotia and in the plains in Saskatchewan.

Trusted Freshness, a new Edmonton greenhouse vegetable producer, is charging ahead because of a major shortage at grocery stores in rare vegetables, the increasing mastery of greenhouse tech, and a new spin on the old business franchising model.

In the past few years, vegan restaurants have popped up all over the city, while mainstream chains include plant-based menu items.

The University of Alberta is getting all kinds of praise and attention for its leading work in artificial intelligence, but entrepreneur Cory Janssen’s focus is to find a way to apply that A.I. brain power to Alberta business.

A plant-based juggernaut is shaking up the North American food industry, and even conventional meat and dairy companies are making significant bets on the future of veggie-based eating.

A massive field of solar panels could be erected on top of contaminated land in southeast Calgary if a proposed renewable energy project is approved by city council.

The Alberta government is supporting Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation and Métis Local 125 in owning and operating a new solar farm that will reduce their reliance on diesel generators.

Ulterra Drilling Technologies, one of the world’s fastest growing suppliers of PDC drill bits for the oil and gas industry, has expanded their manufacturing facility in Leduc, Alberta, Canada. The addition of this facility is part of Ulterra’s overall strategy to increase manufacturing capabilities by 70% worldwide.

New research tests algorithm for understanding what happened and where during Hurricane Irma.

From lab-grown human tissue, to a simple case for life-saving pills, Edmonton brains came up with some pretty cool stuff in 2018.

University of Alberta computing scientists develop machine learning tool to harness the power of Twitter for understanding health and wellness.

There’s no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are the next big step for enterprise. The frequency of AI projects has grown rapidly over the past years. However, there are still businesses that are hesitant to break into the AI and ML game.

Laura Kilcrease is on a mission to change the way the rest of Canada – and the world – perceive Alberta’s economy.

The CEO of Alberta Innovates, a provincially funded corporation with a mandate to deliver 21st-century solutions for the most compelling challenges facing Albertans, says there is far more to Alberta’s economy than just the energy sector.

Local company Latium has created a tool that helps industries solve problems like safety, downtime, inventory, rework and energy consumption, to name a few. They have become the go-to solutions provider for multi-billion dollar companies like Suncor, Enbridge, and the Trans Mountain Pipeline.

If energy is the backbone of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, then Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is its heartbeat; representing over $40 billion in current capital investment. 

Amii’s collaboration with the University of Alberta-based Bionic Limbs for Improved Natural Control (BLINC) Lab on the Adaptive Prosthetics Program uses real-time machine learning methods for assistive rehabilitation and intelligent artificial limbs.

The University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering has been put in the driver’s seat of a $14.9-million Centre for Autonomous Systems in Strengthening Future Communities, thanks to funding from the provincial government and industry.

As another wildfire season is well underway in Alberta, it’s important to know what fire researchers are doing to help predict and prepare for future fires.

Who would you send to inspect a tailings pond? To survey an unstable toxic environment? Or even mine an asteroid in space? Nicolas Olmedo would send a robot.

When last we saw them, the University of Alberta’s EcoCar team was preparing to leave for the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in Sonoma, California from April 3-6, 2019. Now they have returned – victorious.

The boundaries of artificial intelligence techniques are continually being advanced to improve our ability to interpret complex medical imaging results and diagnose diseases.

Edmonton’s population is growing much faster than the rest of the province and the country, the latest census figures show.

The city’s official population reached 972,223 in April, census numbers released Thursday show.

How Pegasus Imagery is turning intelligence into opportunities for disaster response and beyond

Media attention around commercial drone technology may seem like a Silicon Valley-powered future about to flood global skies but for Pegasus Imagery, an Edmonton-based technology company, the hype may be part of the problem.

When Kyle Brown decided to start Solely Socks in 2014, his mission was simple: to create everyone’s favourite pair of socks.  

Operated in Edmonton by Brown and his life and business partner, Danielle Panciroli, Solely Socks creates high-end, reinforced socks with arch support, a fitted cuff, and high-quality materials brought to life by leading knitting machines. The socks are packaged and shipped locally from Edmonton.