Despite global economic headwinds, collaboration moved Calgary forward as the place where bright minds and big ideas come together to help solve global challenges.
Calgary’s resilience in 2023 was steered by the five connected drivers of the community’s economic strategy, Calgary in the New Economy.
As 2023 wraps up, here are the newsroom stories that inspired us this year and showcase Calgary as a city of collaboration and opportunity.
Calgary as a top location for business
- National and global companies, Eventcombo, Vantage Circle, Terrestrial Energy and Applexus, established their headquarters in Calgary and created job opportunities for talent in the city.
- More business leaders and tech employees saw Calgary as a city of opportunity. According to new research, a strong, diversified economy, growing tech sector and high quality of life contributed to this perception about Calgary.
- The Trade Accelerators Program (TAP) prepped Calgary and Alberta businesses for global expansion. TAP helps businesses push industry-disrupting goods and services to international markets. Across sectors, over 300 companies have graduated from TAP since 2018, and over 100 global expansion deals have been signed by TAP alumni.
A community that nurtures new ideas, new solutions and new perspectives
- The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, a $100 million initiative established by the City of Calgary, celebrated a five-year milestone of diversifying and transforming Calgary’s economy. To date, more than $82 million has been allocated to 26 projects, which has spurred $800 million dollars of investment, the creation, training and retention of more than 3,000 jobs and supported or started more than 500 local companies.
- The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund invested up to $5.5 million into the Calgary Entertainment Arts Production Hub at Bow Valley College. The Hub will be a world-class facility set to boost the city’s creative industry and expand its economy.
- Startups can scale to the size of their ambitions in Calgary. The city’s startup ecosystem rose in Startup Genome’s Top 100 Emerging Ecosystems list and now places among the top 60 emerging ecosystems globally.
Home to bright minds
- Tech talent and startups continue to flock to Calgary. In 2023, Calgary became the second most concentrated tech talent market in North America for individuals in their thirties according to CBRE.
- Upskilling programs help cities build economic resiliency with an adaptable and skilled workforce. After successfully retraining over 350 displaced oil and gas professionals in Calgary, EDGE UP shared a recipe for success that can be replicated across sectors and cities.
- In April, Calgary Work Integrated Learning launched TalentED YYC, an online platform that connects students with local employers to get their career started. It’s the first of its kind in Canada and brings together all seven post-secondary institutions in Calgary to work collaboratively on talent development.
The best place to build a life
- Calgary ranked among the world’s top 10 most livable cities and is the second most livable in North America. Explore what it’s like to live, work and play in Calgary.
- As Canada’s fourth largest film and TV jurisdiction, Calgary is a choice destination for major film productions, including The Last of Us, Fargo, Prey and more. It’s no wonder filmmakers from across the world chose to call the city home. Calgary ranked in the top 10 on MovieMaker’s Best Cities to Live and Work list for the third year in a row.
- Talent continues to see Calgary as a place where they can make a living and build a life. Hear from Asfa, Filip and Amir on why they chose to call Calgary home.
Calgary as an iconic city
- Calgary Economic Development and the City of Calgary report Indigenous Peoples and businesses contributed $1.5 billion (1.2 per cent) to Calgary’s total GDP in 2021. The Indigenous Economic Contribution Study benchmarks Indigenous economic contributions and informs action toward Economic Reconciliation.
- Calgary clinched the Location of the Year award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. In case you missed it, the city has hosted major film productions including Emmy-nominated series, The Last of Us.
Follow along on our newsroom to stay tuned for stories about Calgary in 2024.
Read more about Calgary tech companies, or explore opportunities in tech with Live Tech, Love Life.
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