“I’d like to welcome HCL Technologies to Alberta, a province that is breaking records for venture capital investment. It is great to see another successful international company choose to expand to our province and play a role in growing our tech sector.
“Our province’s technology industry has had three straight years of incredible growth. In fact, our technology sectors in Edmonton and Calgary are some of the fastest growing in North America. From Amazon Web Services’ multibillion-dollar investment in a new cloud computing operation in Calgary to tech giant Infosys, Alberta is not only home to a rapidly maturing tech sector but a place brimming with remarkable talent and entrepreneurship.
“Our ongoing work to create an environment where the tech sector can flourish and hire Albertans into the industries of the future is paying off. This month alone, Alberta has seen many successes – from Calgary-based Syantra announcing $6.8 million in Series A financing, which will help them further their work on a blood test to screen for breast cancer, to Alberta-based Wyvern announcing it had raised $4.5 million for its work on satellite imaging. Alberta companies are at the forefront of leading-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning and we want to continue to help them grow in our province.
“Just yesterday, we announced a $31.2-million investment from the Alberta Enterprise Corporation to invest in venture capital funds to ensure more startups and entrepreneurs will have access to the funds they need to grow their business.
“Mentorship and education are also critical to helping tech startups grow their businesses and bring their products to market faster. That is why, in November, we supported the launch of four business and technology accelerators to provide a network of large corporations, education, mentorship and access to capital. This month, we have seen three of these accelerators announce their first cohorts, which will further speed the growth of Alberta businesses, attract job-creating investment and diversify our economy.
“Creative Destruction Lab - Rockies, at the Haskayne School of Business, is also helping to train and mentor innovators. Their program has generated $1.3 billion in only five years, with more than 40 per cent of that created by companies based in Alberta. This is a huge success story, and the innovations coming from this program are solving problems and creating jobs, both in and outside Alberta.
“We’re also making sure Alberta’s workforce is well-equipped to meet the growing demand for highly qualified workers in the tech sector. We’ve introduced programs to ensure we have the talent to meet this need, such as the Accelerated Tech Pathway that provides a fast track to permanent residence for highly skilled tech professionals who want to live and work in Alberta.
“As we settle into a new year, the HCL centre is just another reason to be optimistic about the opportunities ahead. This investment will create jobs in our IT sector and help diversify our economy. I look forward to seeing the innovative work to come.”