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Alberta Innovates announces $2M funding program for emerging technologies in cleantech

EDMONTON — Alberta Innovates is announcing a new funding opportunity to advance emerging technologies that utilize Alberta’s plentiful forest and agricultural biomass and encourage their use in green construction to support economic development of the bioindustrial sector.

Alberta Innovates invites applications to the Building with BioFibre program. A total of $2 million is available, with up to $250,000 per project.

Alberta’s bioindustrial sector thrives at the intersection of agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, and construction. The Building with BioFibre program is looking for novel ways to use hardwood, agriculture residual fibre and crop resources to advance sustainable and technological innovation, build capacity and enhance value-added capabilities in these industries. In addition, this program seeks to develop green construction products using biocomposite materials and advance prefabrication through automation and digital technologies to increase productivity, improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact and achieve a low-carbon future throughout the building life cycle.

The program is open to technology developers, industry, industrial associations, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research and development (R&D) organizations, post-secondary institutions, municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, government research labs and individuals.

Full program details can be found on the Building With BioFibre web page.

“Diversifying our economy with innovation like the Building with BioFibre program will create opportunity for a sustainable building industry. That’s not only good for the planet, it’s good for the people of Alberta,” says Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation.

“We’re entering a new age of construction innovation. The Building With BioFibre program will enhance the construction sector’s abilities to reimagine what’s possible, and will shape a greener built environment for the future,” says Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates.