When we say innovation, we are talking about our steadfast entrepreneurial spirit in Calgary. We are risk-takers who are not afraid to create change. An innovation ecosystem has emerged, and continue to thrive throughout the city.
This booming breadth of business is driven by a variety of stakeholders, including: educators, enterprises, startups and public agents. And this collusion of minds is allowing Calgary to compete at a global level in innovation.
To become Canada’s leading B2B innovation ecosystem, we intend to pursue four key initiatives:
1. Create the Calgary Innovation Corridor (immediate initiative) |
2. Build funding to support generation growth |
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Activities Create more enterprise connections for startup and scale-up companies. Build on existing assets to connect and expand innovation places and spaces in the downtown core. Find creative ways to provide access to workspaces. |
Activities Pursue new funding models for startups and scale-ups, including the creation of Canada’s largest community-built fund to support companies as they grow. Educate investors in the innovation space. Facilitate the entrance of global capital into the local market. |
3. Develop relationships within the innovation ecosystem |
4. Accelerate growth through attraction, advocacy and trade |
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Activities Curate and cultivate relationships between academia, enterprise, service agencies and investors. Embrace innovation in large enterprise. Align and expand programming of innovation accelerators. Enhance access to mentors and senior advisors. |
Activities Attract investment and companies to fill gaps in our innovation ecosystem. Advocate for government venture capital investment and tax credits. Build the connections and reach of Calgary’s tech companies. |
To successfully implement and continuously improve this initiative, we will track key performance indicators at all activity levels. At the highest level, they include: