Calgary is making a bold bid to become Canada’s leading destination for innovation.
Over the past decade, innovation in Calgary has surged, powered by talent, thriving startups, research institutions, new accelerators and soaring venture capital investment. To remain globally competitive, Calgary is taking a structured approach to foster innovation across sectors.
Launched by Calgary Economic Development (CED) with input from ecosystem partners, Calgary’s Innovation Strategy outlines an ambitious plan to establish a connected network of “nodes” that will drive collaboration, investment and economic diversification across key sectors.
Fueled by unprecedented growth in venture capital investment — a 1,000 per cent increase since 2018 — Calgary is leaning into its momentum to redefine its future.
Since 2021, Calgary’s tech ecosystem has added $8.1 billion in value — an 83 per cent increase that outpaces the global average. The city also ranked in the top 20 municipalities of CBRE’s 2024 Tech Talent report, with 78 per cent growth in tech talent over the past five years — emerging as the fastest-growing market in North America. Additionally, with the University of Calgary topping national rankings in startup creation for three years running, the city is proving it has the talent, research and ambition to lead.
A blueprint for innovation in Calgary
At the heart of Calgary’s Innovation Strategy is a plan to create sector-specific innovation nodes across the city.
Over recent years, Calgary Economic Development conducted market research to learn global best practices of renowned innovation hubs. Jurisdictions that topped the list have succeeded due to the creation of clusters of talent, investors and accelerators, often catalyzed by partnerships between post-secondary institutions and major private companies.
Due to an existing critical mass of these resources, much of this work is underway in Calgary. With established hubs like the Life Sciences Innovation Hub, Energy Transition Centre and Aerospace Innovation Hub, Calgary is uniquely positioned to expand upon the traditional model.
Calgary’s Innovation Strategy outlines the creation of nodes that aren’t buildings, but vibrant, interconnected concentrations of accelerators, academic institutions, funders and workspaces designed to provide entrepreneurs with everything they need to scale. Platform Calgary will continue to serve as a central on-ramp to this network.
Each node will focus on Calgary’s “right-to-win” sectors — areas where the city already has momentum, talent and global potential — such as life sciences, clean tech, digital media, agriculture and aerospace.
The strategy estimates Calgary has the potential to generate 187,000 new jobs and contribute over $28 billion to the local economy by 2034.
Four strategic goals to build innovation capacity in Calgary
Calgary's Innovation Strategy brings the local innovation ecosystem into sharper focus — aligning with the goals of the city’s economic action plan, Uplook, to ensure Calgary remains a magnet for companies, capital and talent. By creating stronger connections between people, places and ideas, these strategies lay the groundwork for long-term, inclusive economic growth.
The strategy is structured around four key pillars:
- Establish sector-specific innovation nodes — Identify and strengthen critical nodes citywide, filling resource gaps and unlocking new opportunities in emerging sub-sectors.
- Launch an innovation roadmap — Appoint “innovation champions” to guide businesses through the ecosystem and build bridges between nodes.
- Enhance ecosystem impact — Support regional innovation, expand regulatory sandboxes and develop an IP strategy to scale homegrown ideas.
- Tell Calgary’s innovation story — Share local success stories, amplify the Blue Sky City brand and attract global talent and investment.
Capital, collaboration and commitment
Three critical success factors underpin Calgary’s Innovation Strategy: unlocking private and public capital, securing shared commitment from ecosystem players and continued strategic investments through OCIF.
“OCIF has been one of our most powerful tools to diversify Calgary’s economy. Targeted investments into these innovation nodes can help turn this vision into reality,” the strategy states.
Established by the City of Calgary in 2018, OCIF is a $100 million fund set up to ensure Calgary’s future economy is diversified and resilient. The fund makes strategic investments in the city’s key sectors including aerospace, agriculture, life sciences, energy and advanced manufacturing, which has attracted almost $1 billion in additional investment — an 11 times return on funds committed.
As the Blue Sky City positions itself as a launchpad for global solutions, Calgary’s Innovation Strategy offers a clear and compelling roadmap for how to get there — together.
Want to learn more about what’s next for innovation in Calgary? Read the full strategy document here.