Whether it’s feeding, fueling, healing, or moving, Calgary is solving the world’s greatest challenges through the creation and adoption of transformative technologies. From software to hardware and services, digital transformation is quickly becoming the largest driver of new solutions and technology investments among Calgary businesses. In fact, it’s projected that Calgary businesses will spend nearly $7.5B on digital transformation (DX) from 2019 to 2022, representing a 20% compound annual growth rate. Given its concentration of headquarters and industrial sector base, Calgary is at the heart of the industrial digital transformation and home to many made-in-Calgary success stories.
An award-winning, cloud-based learning management system for business.
This TIME Magazine Best Inventions of 2019 company is reinventing the supply chain.
Bringing corporate purpose to life with technology that powers giving, volunteering and community investments. Benevity is scaling in Calgary – they closed a $40 million series C in Q4 2019.
The global direct-to-consumer experience leader in the alcohol/beverage space.
Leveraging the power of employee recognition and feedback to help organizations reduce turnover, improve culture and boost performance.
Calgary’s $1 billion tech firm is changing the fintech game.
The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) received a $30 million donation to help establish a new school that will provide the latest in digital education for students, enabling the institution to advance change through technology. The new school will set a new course for the future positioning of SAIT as a leader in digital transformation and education.
Suncor announced a multi-year strategic alliance with Microsoft Canada, tapping into the full range of Microsoft’s cloud solutions to empower a connected and collaborative workforce, upgrade data centres and increase analytics capabilities.
Cisco announced a $15 million investment to support three initiatives in Western Canada, focusing on job creation and skills development. Cisco has doubled its R&D cybersecurity resources since 2017 and established a new cybersecurity office. As part of the announcement Cisco is also supporting NPower and YYC Net Lab to provide training and development support to underrepresented populations.
Finger Food Advanced Technology Group announced they will open an Advanced Technology Centre in Calgary in 2020. The Advanced Technology Centre is a facility for global innovation; a state-of-the-art space dedicated to disrupting traditional thinking, fostering user-centric and innovative ideas and learning opportunities. The Centre is set to provide 200 full time jobs in Calgary by 2023 for highly skilled design, software development and management professionals.
Calgary is emulating the best and brightest worldwide on how regional innovation ecosystems grow and are sustained. Several organizations exist to support the growth and success of the ecosystem in Calgary.
Provides innovators access to expertise, funding, networks and research facilities.
Focuses on placemaking, acceleration and advocacy to make Calgary a global hub for startups and innovation.
Movement of people working together to improve Alberta’s innovation ecosystem.
Fosters startups, connects founders and supports the local ecosystem through programming and events.
Calgary’s post-secondary schools and other leaders in the community are creating the tech-savvy talent for the future.
This September, the first cohort of 40 students will complete the highly focused, fast-track master’s degree in software engineering. Students can complete this hand’s on, course-based program in as little as eight months.
Two new, innovative programs announced by Bow Valley College this year reflect the current and future demand in creative technology. The Digital Design Diploma focuses on the digital aspects of design and production, and the Data Management and Analytics Post-Baccalaureate Certificate prepares graduates for data requirements, life cycle, modeling, gathering and interpreting results.
Starting in September 2018, the four-year Bachelor of Science – Chemistry major at Mount Royal University was designed to ensure students gain critical knowledge and hands-on experience in a space designed with new technology and smaller-than-average class sizes.
Focusing on cyber security training to protect systems that run critical infrastructure in networked environments, this newly announced program runs for 26 weeks in the winter and fall of 2019.
Impressing the importance of code in the classroom, Lighthouse Labs created the Code Create Teach courses for K-12 educators across Canada. In Calgary, their full-time Web Development Bootcamp programs and part-time Intro to Web Development Courses development classes are open for applicants.
Rainforest Alberta, Calgary Economic Development and the Hunter Family Foundation launched EvolveU in 2019 for people looking to pivot their careers. Offering opportunities to learn in-demand skills across data, design, business and technology, the program combines a practical curriculum with onsite mentoring, peer-to-peer learning experiences and personalized career coaching.
Hiring grants:
Canada-Alberta Job Grant
Mitacs
Venture for Canada
Early stage funding:
Valhalla Private Capital
Accelerate Fund
Sprout Fund
Harvest Builders
Venture capital:
Alberta Enterprise Corp
Relay Ventures
Panache Ventures
Builders VC
McRock Capital
Yaletown Partners
Funding resources:
The Living Lab opens up public spaces, transportation corridors, the dark fibre and LoRaWAN networks and other City-owned assets for testing, validating and showcasing technological innovation including unmanned and autonomous systems, augmented reality and virtual reality in a real-world environment.
The Living Lab is helping Calgary become a Smart City by using innovation, data and connected technology to improve the quality of life of Calgarians.
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Since 1965, Bow Valley College has been providing post-secondary education at dozens of locations and has repeatedly been named one of Alberta's Top 70 employers.
FX Innovation is a Canadian leader in Digital Transformation with expertise in Cloud, ServiceNow, and Enterprise Automation delivered with innovation and a user-centric approach.
Mount Royal provides a variety of programs and courses including bachelor’s degrees, diplomas and certificates for its 12,000 students with a focus on providing quality teaching and small class sizes.
We're a proud Canadian company and connect Canadians to a world of possibilities, and the memorable moments that matter most in their lives.
Established in 1916, SAIT is a global leader in applied education and offers more than 100 career programs and more than 1,400 part-time courses.
TELUS is a leading telecommunications company in Canada, with 11.6 million customer connections including 6.1 million wireless subscribers, 4.2 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers.
The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude
Built on the foundation that “No One Succeeds Alone”, a community varying from big brands to freelancers work alongside one another for collaboration and connection.
Megan Zimmerman
Director, Business Development
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