Economic Development Matters / Edmonton Global

Sherri and Brianna speak with Adam Legge, President of the Business Council of Alberta. We talk about their ongoing work to support business-friendly policies for the province and about their latest report, Future Unbuilt, which provides recommendations to the federal government on how to improve Canada's regulatory processes to build major infrastructure that enables us to achieve ambitious environmental and economic targets.

Sherri and Brianna chat with Rachel Connell, VP of the North American Strategy for Competitiveness (NASCO), about their upcoming reunion event taking place in Edmonton, August 29-31, 2023. The event will see Canada, U.S., and Mexico business and political leaders gather to discuss the future of our North American trading relationships.Learn more about the event here.

We speak to Andrew MacIsaac, CEO of Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation (API) about supporting the life sciences sector by linking post-secondary institutions and industry and facilitating commercialization. We also talk about the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative and the work being done to build the Edmonton region into a pharmaceutical R & D and manufacturing hub. Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation: https://appliedpharma.ca/ Andrew can be followed on Twitter: @andrewkm

We chat with Peter Fenwick, Director, Scale-Up and Growth Programs at Mount Royal University, and Steven Martens, co-lead of the Hydrogen Innovation Accelerator. We discuss how accelerators work and current initiatives in Alberta to support the emerging hydrogen economy.Register for the Hydrogen Hack on June 21st in Edmonton: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/hydrogen-hack-learn-and-participate-hydrogen-innovation-accelerator-tickets-643129155617Information on the Hydrogen Innovation Accelerator: https://www.innovationaccelerator.ca/

We chat with Ian MacGregor, who played a lead role in the building of the Sturgeon Refinery. Ian is the founder of Hydrogen Naturally, a company using proven technology, sustainable forest waste fibre, and in-depth knowledge of carbon sequestration to build a reliable long-lasting hydrogen supply source in the Edmonton region. We talk about the Edmonton region's extensive experience building large scale projects and tackling and solving industry challenges.Hydrogen Naturally website: https://www.h2naturally.com/

We talk with Dr. Stanford Blade, Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta and professor in the Faculty’s Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Science. We talk about the importance of building a strong talent pipeline, how innovation is enhancing the food and agriculture sector, and how the University of Alberta is partnering with industry to commercialize research. Dr. Stan Blade's Twitter: @DeanALES_UofA For more information on the faculty: https://www.ualberta.ca/agriculture-life-environment-sciences/index.html

We talk with Jerry Bouma, a local and well-respected consultant in the food and agriculture industry, who has consulted throughout the globe. He shares his insights as to why the Edmonton Metropolitan Region has so much potential in this sector, the current challenges, and where we go from here.Jerry can be reached by email at: jerry (at) jerryboumaassociates.com

Brianna and Sherri chat esports with CK Dhaliwal and Madison Côté. What are “esports” and why are they an economic development opportunity for the Edmonton Metropolitan Region? On February 18 & 19, 2023, the Alberta Esports Expo is being held – free – at the Edmonton Expo Centre https://esportsalberta.ca/aee

Searle Turton, MLA for Spruce Grove-Stony Plain, talks about the Edmonton Metro Region Economic Recovery Working Group that he recently chaired. He shares his experience moving from municipal to provincial politics and some ideas for engaging more people in the trades.

Sherri and Brianna talk with guests Sheila Chauvet and Ashley Clark about a program that connects small businesses in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region with a student consultant that helps the business develop an online presence.To learn more about program, check out: www.yourdep.caTo learn more about Sheila's business (and see the website she created with Ashley's help), check out: https://www.steppingforwardpsychology.com/To learn more about the University of Alberta School of Business Consulting Group, check out: https://www.schoolofbusinesscg.com/

Jade Chiles, CEO & Co-Founder of Ordr, tells us about the new Ordr app, why he developed it, his career journey, and future plans for the company.Website: https://ordr.io/Twitter: @ORDReats

Sherri and Brianna share information about their roles at Edmonton Global, discuss past episodes and guests, ideas for the podcast moving forward, and why they support regional collaboration.Follow Brianna on Twitter at: @Brianna_jh