Investments in Science, Technology and Innovation

PanWestern Initiatives | British Columbia | Alberta |
Saskatchewan | Manitoba

PanWestern Initiatives

Telecommunications Research Laboratories (TRLabs)
Canadian Environmental Technology Advancement Corporation (CETAC)
Globe Foundation of Canada

Telecommunications Research Laboratories (TRLabs)

WD contribution: $10 million over 5 years

TRLabs is Canada's largest not-for-profit applied telecommunications research consortium, with laboratories in Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg engaged in pre-competitive research in network systems, network access, fibre optics and photonics, data networking and wireless communications. In 1996 WD made a 5-year commitment to provide $10 million in financing to support TRLabs' ongoing operation. TRLabs currently has 42 sponsors: 9 Major Industry, 24 Small Business Associates, 5 Universities and 4 Government organizations (Federal (WD), Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan & Manitoba).

TRLabs is providing an environment in which highly capable faculty and students develop their abilities and then transfer their skills, knowledge and ideas to new endeavours, thus advancing the information technologies and telecommunications sector in Western Canada.

Canadian Environmental Technology Advancement Corporation (CETAC)

WD contribution: $1,290,500

CETAC-WESTis a private sector, not-for-profit corporation committed to helping small and medium-sized businesses in Western Canada develop and commercialize new and innovative environmental technologies.

Based in Calgary, Alberta, CETAC-WEST provides firms with a range of services that include training, mentoring, technology and market assessment, and sourcing of funds. The corporation is one of only three such environmental technology organizations in Canada, with the other two located in Ontario and Quebec.

In addition to supporting CETAC-WEST training events, WD has partnered with the organization to develop processes and technologies that address the environmental issues linked with livestock manure management. WD contributed $495,000 for hog waste technology development and another $298,000 for hog waste demonstration projects.

WD also contributed $421,000 for energy efficiency audits of Western Canadian oil and gas firms under the organization's Energy and Environmental Efficiency program.

Most recently, WD provided $58,500 to CETAC-WEST to assess Alberta's environmental technology industry. The assessment report was presented at the WD-hosted Western Canadian Environmental Technology Forum, held in Vancouver on December 5, 2003.

Globe Foundation of Canada

Since 1990, Western Diversification has supported the development of the GLOBE environmental trade show. The GLOBE Foundation of Canada, a not-for-profit society, is a fully-owned subsidiary of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APFC) and manages the GLOBE Series of biennial Expositions on Business and the Environment.

At GLOBE 2004, over 400 leading technology companies from Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia were on hand to present a wide range of environmental solutions. Estimates indicate that close to 2000 conference delegates from around the world attended the event, with topics of discussion and presentations ranging from major developments in corporate sustainability to energy policy to climate change to building sustainable cities.

WD supported GLOBE 2004 through a pavilion showcasing Western Canadian environmental technologies that are among the most innovative in the world. Also highlighted were WD's work to advance environmental technologies in western Canada and the work being done under the Canada/BC Infrastructure Program.

The GLOBE conferences play a key role in fostering the environmental industry in Western Canada, which now has more than 2,000 firms generating revenues of $1.5 billion per year and providing employment for roughly 20,000 people.