Establishing A Regional Innovation Zone Prepared 10-JUL-14 by: The Alberta Council of Technologies Society Proposal Establish the NW quadrant of the Edmonton Capital Region as an Innovation Zone The NW Quadrant includes: City of St. Albert - Town of Stony Plain Town of Devon - City of Spruce Grove Parkland County - Sturgeon County (Villenue) Alexander First Nations 2 What is the NW Innovation Zone? The NW location features: A common interest/need to increase their business/ industrial base for generating jobs/revenue/taxes – sustainability Excluded from development of Alberta’s oil sands, gas & petroleum industry Environmental sensitivities and public priorities Source of the Region’s water (North Saskatchewan), weather (prevailing NW winds – “The Alberta Clipper”), and wattage (Keephills and Wabamun) Collaborative municipal/county economic development Is there More? 3 What is the NW Innovation Zone? Innovative infrastructure: Focus. Innovation and knowledge-based industry. E.g. : data analytics, fusion energy, cleanTech, maglev Sourcing. Small business development, dedicated funding for industry development and business incubation Merging. Culture and Science, Arts and Technology - a “Creative Economy” Local. A well-educated, family-oriented population base as a source of leadership in learning, small-business and innovation! Is there More? 4 How ABCtech Can Help! Vision. Diversifying Alberta’s economy through the commercialization of emerging technologies Experienced. “Community building” with networks of interest and expertise in technologies and their commercialization: Policy Influence. Consulting re fusion energy, maglev, small business, innovation & enterprise, rural communications, access to capital, public procurement, public policy Public Education. Event management re cell therapies, fusion energy, cleanTech, electrifying transportation, data analytics Communications. Newsletters, ABCtech Media (audio, video, print) Productions, websites Collaborative. 20 established Networks and 15,000 email relationships sustained through AGM/BBQ, co-hosting of events and policy projects 5 What’s needed? Agreement. Municipalities/Counties Agreement to collaborate in 6 economic development. Form Alliance. P3 Funding. Provincial/municipal partners and corporate and institutional sponsors. Short and long term grants. Understanding. A spring workshop on development of the NW Innovation Zone. Steering Committee. Sourcing. Regional: Northern Alberta Business Incubator, Community Futures, Sumex, AccCapital, and Provincial: Maglev, Alberta/Canada Fusion Energy Program, Alberta CleanTech Industry Alliance, Analytics Industry Advisory Engagement. ABCtech as Project Secretariat for launch. Our 2015 Tenth Year Anniversary theme “Convergence & Creativity”.