The Canadian Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada Daniel Vandal has announced CAD3.5 million in federal funding for firms innovating in remotely-controlled aerial vehicle applications and clean energy technologies. The grants have been awarded to three southern Alberta projects supporting small- and medium-sized companies to innovate, grow and compete globally. The investment is expected to support over 240 innovative Alberta businesses and help create nearly 200 jobs. They include:
- CAD860,000 to enable the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems to train small- and medium-sided 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.
- CAD1.26 million to 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 CAN1.86 million.
- CAD1.43 million to 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 CAD325,000 for this initiative.
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