Through coordination across all levels of government and in partnership with industry, Canada is hoping to enable Alberta's small- and medium-sized businesses to capitalize on opportunities. Specifically, Prairies Economic Development Canada is seeking to build upon Alberta's reputation as an "agricultural powerhouse" by investing more than $20 million across projects commercializing innovative products, technologies, and services for Canadian and global markets.
"Our government is making strategic investments to build on Alberta's solid track record of commercializing innovative products, services, and technologies that the world needs," stated Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan. "The projects we're announcing today will help ensure Alberta's value-added agricultural sector can capitalize on the opportunity to create new solutions that benefit both the economy and environment," he continued.
Other funded projects include Pure Life Carbon receiving $2 million to upgrade and expand an existing manufacturing facility that will increase production of its proprietary soil alternative products used in agricultural applications, as well as over $1M for the provincially operated Alberta Bio Processing Innovation Centre and the Alberta Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator to purchase and install new equipment for small businesses to utilize.
"Funding the last piece of automation and supporting expansion of our first manufacturing facility in Alberta has positioned Pure Life Carbon to now respond to more orders, from all corners of the globe," says Ryan Rand, chief executive of Pure Life. "Supporting our company has had a significant impact in the controlled environment agriculture space, where replacing peat moss directly is reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as water usage while increasing food production."
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