Investing in Alberta
Alberta Innovates provides leadership and co-ordination for activities that support the growth of Alberta’s agriculture, forestry and food sectors.
Agriculture, Forestry & Food
Supporting bioeconomy, agriculture, forestry and food
What we do
Our BIO business line is advancing the bioeconomy, smart agriculture and food innovation through digital, industrial and agricultural biotechnologies.
We aim to grow and strengthen the forestry, agriculture and food sectors, and build a market for ecosystem services.
If you have ideas that will create new economic opportunities and investment in Alberta, come to us!
Together, we are changing the face of forestry – an industry employing 40,000 Albertans and worth $7 billion to our economy.
Paul Whittaker, President and CEO, Alberta Forest Products Association
Browse our programs
Agri-Food Innovation
Advancing innovation in agriculture and food
Innovation is changing the face of farming and food around the world. Our Agri-Food Innovation program is committed to propelling the development and application of technologies to increase the productivity and sustainability of agri-food products and prion research. We work collaboratively with partners in government, academia, and industry to support the advancement of Alberta’s agri-food sector. In addition to investing in new technologies, the program supports ecosystem growth though leadership in industry collaborations and initiatives.
Bioindustrial Materials
Advancing innovation in bioindustrial materials
The Bioindustrial Materials Program provides opportunities to accelerate the development, deployment and implementation of advanced innovations that build capacity and increase value-added capabilities across the value chain and further create new business potential and markets for Alberta’s bioeconomy. Areas of investment include biofibre utilization, value-added biomass and green construction.
Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity
Building a market system for ecosystem services
We are working with our partners to build a market-based system for ecosystem services and enhance biodiversity in Alberta.
Alberta Bio Future
Advancing industrial biotechnology
This legacy program invested in the generation of new knowledge and greener products and processes using Alberta biomass. We supported bioindustrial innovation to add new revenue streams in the forestry and agriculture sectors through value-added processing of plant residuals and byproducts.
Alberta Prion Research Institute
Unlocking the mysteries of prion and related diseases
This legacy program advanced knowledge and research into prion diseases in animals, and prion and prion-like diseases in humans.
News
Alberta Innovates announces winners of the COSIA Land Challenge Competition
Two Canadian companies have emerged as winners of an open innovation competition seeking seismic technologies that reduce environmental impacts of oil sands exploration. The competition, funded by Alberta Innovates and organized by Foresight on behalf of Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), is part of the ongoing COSIA Land Challenge.
Growing hardier corn crops and economic opportunities in rural Alberta
In Alberta, the requirement for hot and long growing seasons has limited grain corn production for livestock consumption to the...
Trash is biofuel treasure; Enerkem uses Alberta as a launching pad for expansion
Enerkem’s Edmonton facility is a huge step forward — the first commercial facility in the world to turn municipal trash into biofuel. That’s attracted a lot of interest, both in Canada and beyond.