Research, Technology & Commercialization

Alberta's environment sector is supported by several research and development organizations:

  • Alberta Energy Research Institute (AERI)

    AERI, a part of the Alberta government's Ministry of Innovation and Science, promotes energy and environmental research, technology evaluation and technology transfer in areas including oil and gas, heavy oil and oil sands, coal, electricity, renewable and alternative energy.

    Through the active encouragement of collaboration and network building, AERI is successfully integrating the knowledge, skills and investment potential of industry players, federal and provincial governments, research providers and universities.

  • Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research (AICWR)

    The AICWR is a new and progressive partnership among Alberta’s three research universities. The AICWR will be of international caliber, producing high impact journal papers and developing applications specific to Alberta and relevant worldwide.

    The AICWR will investigate the interrelated characteristics of water quantity and water quality relevant to four overlapping research theme areas: watersheds; water ecology; safety or water and wastewater; and economics, policy and risk.

  • Alberta Research Council Inc. (ARC)

    For more than 80 years, ARC has been committed to achieving excellence by collaborating with business, industry, government and academia - through the delivery of innovative science and technology solutions to meet the priorities of industry and government, in Alberta and beyond. Integrated, multi-disciplinary teams help ARC customers and partners take technologies from the laboratory to the field, strengthening their organizations' competitiveness and sustainability.

    A primary objective of the organization is to accelerate the development of products, processes and services in the energy, life sciences, agriculture, environment, forestry and manufacturing sectors.

  • Canadian Environmental Technology Advancement Corporation - West (CETAC-West)

    CETAC-West is a private sector, not-for-profit corporation committed to helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) commercialize environmental technologies. Services include:

    • assisting SMEs to seek appropriate partnering and alliance opportunities
    • coaching
    • environmental business opportunity evaluation
    • establishing connections to investor networks
    • facilitating technology demonstrations
    • identifying suitable government grants, loans and tax incentives

  • Edmonton Waste Management Centre of Excellence

    The EWMCE is a non-profit corporation that blends modern waste management facilities with the expertise of municipal government, leading research and educational institutions, and the private sector. The Centre serves as an innovative hub for research, technology development and training and workshops/conferences as well as consulting and advisory services in solid waste and wastewater management.

  • Energy Innovation Network (EnergyINet)

    Brings government, researchers and the energy industry together from across Canada and facilitates a collaborative approach to research and development. It fosters technology that will provide "an abundant supply of environmentally responsible energy".

  • National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT)

    The University of Alberta is a world leader in a number of environmental research areas and home of the National Institute for Nanotechnology of the National Research Council.

    With nanotechnology, scientists can control individual molecules and build materials and machines one atom at a time. Nanotechnology is considered the next major revolution in technology and, in the years ahead, the Institute is expected to become one of the world's top nanotechnology research facilities.

    These new technologies will help the environment sector to provide new services, existing services more quickly or at reduced cost, and better environmental outcomes.

  • Technology Commercialization

    Increasing the number of new companies in emerging advanced technology sectors is the goal of Alberta's action plan, Bringing Technology to Market. The action plan is centred on 9 action areas:

      Action 1: Implement a science and research experimental development tax credit.

      Action 2: Establish $100M Alberta Enterprise Corporation to attract and strengthen venture capital investments in Alberta.

      Action 3: Strengthen access to egional business services by creating one-window access to improve your company's investment-readiness.

      Action 4: Introduce new technology development advisors.

      Action 5: Offer innovation vouchers to assist companies across technology-specific supports.

      Action 6: Prepare products for market through enhanced product development centres.

      Action 7: Create demonstration fund for testing new products.

      Action 8: Expand the IVAC Capacity Builder Program investments for pre-commercial and seed stage technology companies.

      Action 9: Support Youth Technopreneurship project and other initiatives.

    This $178-million action plan highlights a range of coordinated actions - from a research and development tax credit to increased investment capital to technology-specific business supports and new technopreneurship projects.

    Research is needed to develop ways to recover the significant amount of conventional oil left behind, as well as less energy intensive methods to extract heavy oil and bitumen. Research is also necessary for the energy sector to reduce the impact of greenhouse gases and other emissions.

    For more about Alberta's advanced technology action plan, visit:

    Date Updated: Sep 26, 2008
    RDP-1161