The Smart Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure Association (SSRIA) is receiving $6.3 million to help Alberta’s construction and engineering industry innovate and grow.
The funding from Alberta Innovates and Western Economic Diversification Canada will be used to create a network of test buildings for small and medium-sized construction firms to develop new innovations in energy-efficient construction through testing, commercialization and adoption of new products and technologies.
“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 Alberta Innovates CEO Laura Kilcrease.
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.
“Developing and commercializing new technologies in the construction sector will build the Alberta of the future, using the same entrepreneurship and innovation that has made Alberta the engine of Canada’s economy,” adds Alberta Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer.
The total investment is comprised of $2.8 million from Alberta Innovates, $3 million from Western Diversification Canada and $165,000 from the SSRIA.
“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,” said Melanie Joly, the federal minister of economic development and the minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada.
“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.”
