Alberta’s construction industry receives $3 million investment from federal government
Alberta’s construction industry is receiving a $3 million investment from Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) to help small businesses adopt new technologies that improve the energy efficiency of buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
This funding will be directed towards an Alberta-based not-for-profit organization—the Smart Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure Association (SSRIA)—to establish a network of test buildings where firms can collaborate and test their products under different conditions.
WD funding is complemented by an investment of more than $2.8 million from Alberta Innovates, in-kind support from industry and $165,000 from the SSRIA, bringing the total project funding to over $6.3 million.
“The technology developed with SSRIA will significantly reduce emissions and support the growth of the building and construction sector in Alberta. The project reimagines buildings themselves as clean tech and will drive transformative work around built environments, creating new opportunities and new markets. This initiative is another compelling example of innovation growing the economy,” said Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates.
Products and services expected to be commercialized through this initiative include materials for walls, roofs and foundations; mechanical and electrical system improvements; sensors and lighting products that reduce energy consumption; and software for storing and analyzing building performance on energy efficiency and greenhouse gases.
“Our shift towards green technologies is both the right thing to do for our environment and the smart thing to do for our economy. This investment from Western Economic Diversification Canada will support good, well-paying jobs in communities across Alberta while helping the province’s construction industry stay on the cutting edge. It will help many small and medium-sized businesses across the province innovate and grow while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and I’m excited to see the difference it will make,” said The Honourable Mélanie Joly, MP for Ahuntsic-Cartierville, and Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada.