About

InnoTech Alberta enables value generation and accelerates commercial development by providing access to world-class expertise and industrial scale facilities needed to transition technologies to innovations. 

Since 1921, we’ve been the heart of Alberta’s innovation engine as Canada’s premier applied research organization. From generating new ideas to testing, mitigating risk, and helping businesses and industries scale up their processes and products, our work has always focused on productive commercial applications. We have the capacity, tools, and expertise to solve whatever challenges our partners and clients face. 

Through our world-class researchers, leading-edge facilities, and strategic investments, we pave the path of innovation that will feed, grow, fuel, and build Alberta’s economy. We also help our business and industry partners reduce their impact on our environment, improve their operations, and transition valuable technology and products to the market. 

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alberta Innovates, we were established by the Government of Alberta to be a key component of Alberta Innovates’ Pathway to Commercialization. Our aim is to be indisputably recognized provincially, nationally, and internationally as a leading provider of applied research, development and innovation services to position Alberta Innovates as the leader in accelerating innovation in Alberta.

Our Value

We remove barriers around advancing a technology when others within Alberta’s innovation system simply cannot, will not, or should not do such work. 

We coordinate solution providers to accelerate tech development, and focus on using partners (private sector, post-secondary, and other research providers) to deliver complete solutions more quickly and at lower cost.

As a third-party independent research organization, we are neutral and impartial. 

We Have the Breadth and Depth of Expertise

• Scientific, technological, and engineering expertise. 
• 221 team members with over 125 Masters and PhDs. 
• Connections to industry and business.  

We Have World-Class Facilities

• Operations in four communities: Edmonton, Calgary, Devon, and Vegreville. 
• Over 1 million square feet of research and lab space. 
• Over 600 acres of farmland for research and testing.

We have access to some of the most sophisticated laboratories, test facilities, field sites, pilot plants, and equipment to run ad hoc testing or experiments to full-scale, multi-year research projects with detailed plans and commercialization opportunities.

InnoTech Alberta’s industrial-scale research infrastructure, equipment, and demonstration facilities are distributed across locations in Alberta (Edmonton, Calgary, Devon, and Vegreville) and British Columbia (Victoria) to support the delivery of solutions to cross-sectoral challenges, provide innovative ecosystem supports, explore new market segments, and advance new technologies.

We encourage companies, government groups, and technology developers to discuss their needs with the expert contacts listed for each facility.

2019

CanaPux™: The technology for production of solidified bitumen pellets, better known as CanaPux™, was developed by InnoTech Alberta in collaboration  and under contract with Canadian National Railway Company (CN Rail).

Launch of Aquatic Mesocosm Facility – Joint Industry Project of Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA) to examine the ecological response to oil sands water and tailings.   

2015

Expansion of Alberta Manufacturing & Fabrication Innovation (AMFI) program to raise awareness of the newest and most advanced fabrication solutions & to provide companies with the technical support needed to integrate these technologies into their operations.

2013

Cellulose Nanocrystal (CNC) Pilot Plant began pilot scale production of CNC from biological fibres with high alpha-cellulose content to support development of new products (drilling fluids, mining tailings mitigation, paints and industrial coatings, automotive components, building materials, plastics and packaging). 

2011

Seed to Final Product: Hemp and flax fibre processing pilot plants created with support of Alberta Government.

2009

Launch of Material and Reliability in Oil Sands (MARIOS) with oil sands producers and supplier companies. MARIOS tackles the maintenance challenge that costs oil sands operators an estimated $10 billion each year.

Carbon Capture and Storage – completion of geological assessments for storing CO2 emissions in what is now the QUEST carbon capture and storage facility outside Fort Saskatchewan.

2007

Partner in launching Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute to monitor the state of biodiversity across the entire province.  Field Monitoring component run out of Vegreville facility.

1990

Launch of Fermentation Plant – used to develop, optimize and scale biological processes to assist customers in the deployment and commercialization of novel biological products.

1983

Launch of the AACI Research Program – an in-situ heavy oil research and development consortium between industry with government to advance field-focused technologies and to improve existing processes related to in-situ recovery of heavy oil and bitumen.

1971

50th Anniversary Celebration of significant contributions made to the provincial economy through coal, oil sands and other mineral research along with technical programs.

1969

Soil Survey – completion of a preliminary soil survey covering Alberta’s major agricultural areas

1968

Commercial Deployment of Hot Water Extraction Process – decision by Great Canadian Oil Sands (now Suncor Energy) to incorporate this process in its commercial oil sands venture near Ft McMurray.

1929

First Patent for Hot Water Extraction Process – lays the foundation for future investment in oil sands development.

1926

Publication of first Geological Map of Alberta. 

1921

Science and Industrial Research Council of Alberta (SIRCA): created with a mandate to document Alberta’s resources for industry. First such research organization in Canada.