Economic downturn posing challenges for Alberta's realigned innovation system

With the official launch of Clinexus, Alberta now has a suite of four product commercialization centres (PCC) targeted at sharply defined industry sectors and all under the authority of the recently established Alberta Innovates - Technology Futures (TF). The suite grows to six if Cybera (high-speed research networking) and the Alberta component of TR Labs (telecommunications) are included.

The PCCs form an integral part of the province's innovation strategy and the commercialization end of the services and capacity within TF. But the economic crisis and subsequent hiring freeze have complicated the development of a long-term strategy.

"We're in a transition period and there's uncertainty as to how things are operationalized," says TF president and CEO Dr Gary Albach, who spoke with RE$EARCH MONEY just prior to a June 28 management retreat to look at TF's requirements over the next five years.

Albach says the focus and structure of the PCCs vary according to their client base, maturity and funding sources. Bioadvantage and TECTERRA are more research and commercialization centres as both receive federal funding. Biovantage received $8.5 million from Western Economic Diversification to match the provincial contribution while TECTERRA received funding under the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program.

Cybera and TRLabs are not technically PCCs as they are not specific to the provincial government.

Of the four PCCs, ACAMP operates closest to industry. The organization's two centres are co-located within company facilities (Micralyne in Edmonton and Dynamic Source Manufacturing Inc in Calgary) and they currently serve 50 industrial clients.

Albach says TF is looking at the feasibility of using funding from energy-related multinationals to help support small company development. "This is where these companies are going more, looking at suppliers and technology development outside of their own labs and tap into emerging technologies," says Albach.

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