Alberta’s top research colleges join forces to showcase innovative solutions
The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) gathered on Wednesday for the first annual Alberta Corridor Technical Symposium — Research Matters: Empowering Alberta Through Innovative Solutions — presented by the Alberta Corridor Technical Committee.
Officials with RDP say all three institutions were named in Canada’s Top 50 Research Colleges for 2022 as part of the Canada’s Innovation Leaders report, adding an elevated level of expertise to this collaborative event. Held in Calgary on SAIT’s main campus, this one-day event showcased more than 15 industry-based, cutting-edge applied research projects in progress which officials say embody the collective efforts in research fostered at Alberta’s leading polytechnic colleges.
Exploring research in the areas of agriculture and sustainable ecosystems, thermal energy storage, carbon neutrality, remote healthcare delivery, veterinary medicine and much more, officials say the projects aim to create advanced solutions to foster new opportunities for Alberta’s diverse economy.
Industry professionals, academics, students and community leaders attended the symposium to network with peers, learn from researchers and be inspired by the next generation of innovators. Students from all three post secondaries exhibited their research findings at the poster sessions on topics including advancing microplastics science, impacts of electric vehicles, issues facing rural immigrants and verifying activity on Alberta’s Crown land using satellite imagery.