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Industry Sectors
Our applied research solutions are industry driven, and move at the speed of business, with our partners holding the intellectual property. We are focused on supporting the societal and economic benefits of these seven major sectors of industry. The continued sustainability, growth and diversification of these major economic sectors is essential, as is the foundation they provide for new fields of economic activity and competitive advantage for our province and its industries.
Energy and Environment
Alberta’s energy industry is critical to the province’s prosperity. Strongly tied to oil and gas activity is Alberta’s environmental services sector, known internationally for excellence in water treatment, waste management, soil remediation, forest-land reclamation and the development of climate-change solutions.
Alberta’s agriculture and forestry sector is the second largest component of Alberta’s economy. It provides a significant source of raw materials, including agriculture and forestry fibre, for use in the province’s bioeconomy, which includes the production of food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy from renewable, biological resources.
NAIT’s supports these vital drivers of western Canada’s economy through applied research essential to the region’s oil and gas, oil sands, and alternative energy subsectors. This includes our commitment to delivering applied-research solutions that strengthen the sector’s environmental sustainability.
Centre for Oil Sands Sustainability
The Centre for Oil Sands Sustainability is a 12,000-square-foot, state-of-the art research lab staffed by an expert team of applied scientists, engineers and technicians.
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Centre for Boreal Research
The Boreal Research Institute is an innovative applied research facility in Peace River, 500 kilometers northwest of Edmonton, staffed with a team of research scientists and technicians.
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Research Chair:
Andrea Sedgewick
Andrea has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of upstream surface oil sands development, including mining, extraction, tailings and water management.
Research Chair:
Dr. Amanda Schoonmaker
Dr. Amanda Schoonmaker was named NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Boreal Reclamation and Reforestation in July, 2015. Since 2011, she has been the Forest Reclamation field research coordinator at NAIT’s Boreal Research Institute.
Research Chair:
Dr. Bin Xu
Dr. Bin Xu joined NAIT as the NSERC Research Chair in Peatland Restoration in 2013. Based out of NAIT’s Boreal Research Institute in Peace River
NAIT Investigates cleaner fuel for trucking industry
A new applied research partnership at NAIT could dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing diesel fuel with a clean-burning, non-toxic alternative.
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Construction and Trades
Alberta's construction industry plays a key role in the provincial economy and employs a highly skilled workforce. In addition to infrastructure, commercial and residential construction, the industry works closely with Alberta’s resource sectors, providing globally unique expertise in winter construction practices, pipeline design, and oil, gas and oil sands development.
Centre for
Construction Innovation
The Centre for Construction Innovation enhances productivity and global competitiveness driven by the design, modularized assembly and testing of new, industrialized approaches to infrastructure.
Centre for Sensors and System Integration
A research centre funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Created to partner with small and medium enterprises seeking coordinated innovation development services.
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Bioeconomy
We have established a reputation for applied research excellence in Energy and Environment and emerging capabilities focused on the province’s bioeconomic and bioindustrial sectors. Areas of projected growth include bio/nanotechnological applications for Western Canada’s renewable and non-renewable resource sectors, value-added products from forestry waste streams and epicurean innovation and novel agri-food opportunities.
Alberta’s bioeconomy is directly linked to the agriculture and forestry sector , providing a significant source of raw materials, including agriculture and forestry fibre. Our projects focus on the production of food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy from renewable, biological resources.
Research Chair:
Dr. Jean-Marie Sobze
Dr. Jean-Marie Sobze is the Applied Research Chair in Plant and Seed Technologies, focused on developing practical technologies for plant propagation and seed delivery.
Research Chair:
Paolo Mussone
Dr. Paolo Mussone is the Applied Bio/Nanotechnology Industrial Research Chair, working work with industry partners in the resource extraction, environmental remediation and bioeconomy sectors.
Centre for Culinary Innovation
The centre will support the development of new or improved food products, equipment and processes, with a focus on creating tangible value for our industry partners.
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Nanotech seeds could kick-start boreal forest regrowth
Researchers at NAIT are turning to nanotechnology to kick-start the growth of native trees and shrubs used to reclaim thousands of former industrial sites in Alberta’s vast boreal forests.
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Digital Economy
This sector is based on digital computing technoloiges including platform-based business models, network effects and economies of scale. We seek to develop and expand strategies for innovations in platform and content. Develop prototypes, pilots, and proof-of-concept elements to improve product and market fit and develop a collaborative, cross-disciplinary community of practitioners across different media sectors.
Centre for Innovative Media
The centre works with industry to integrate, develop, and test prototypes across media platforms to develop products for the commercial market.
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Research Chair:
Dr. Krista Uggerslev
Dr. Uggerslev is the Applied Research Chair in Leadership and Talent. Krista holds Ph.D. and M.Sc. degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Calgary.
Centre for Sensors and System Integration
The centre helps industry partners solve sensor-based technology challenges across multiple industries.
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Health and Care
Small- and mid-sized health-technology businesses want to develop and move knowledge from research to market more effectively.
NAIT’s programs offer industry partners expertise in areas like diagnostic imaging, laboratory technology, emergency medical technician training and dental health. Our state of the art simulation facilities enable companies to test their products in a clinical setting in silico and in live simulations. Other areas of focus include information and communications technology-focused rehabilitation technologies, health informatics, improved health and safety in the trades, and healthcare delivery operational efficiency.
Building on five years of collaboration on rehabilitation technologies, serious-gaming applications and assistive device design, NAIT and the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital have formalized a multi-year Strategic Applied Collaborative Research Agreement associated with the Glenrose Rehabilitation Research, Innovation and Technology Hub.
A New Frontier in hands-on healthcare training
CAE Healthcare and NAIT have entered a simulation research partnership to improve health-care education and patient safety, including support for the polytechnic's simulation research initiatives.
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Drop by Drop
Find out how NAIT followed the blood to find new efficiencies for Alberta Health.
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Centre for Advanced Medical Simulation
This state-of-the-art interactive centre gives students in the School of Health and Life Sciences the opportunity to practice clinical situations in a controlled environment.
Manufacturing
Advanced manufacturing innovations like 3D printing and remote applications are revolutionizing the industry. The integration of new technologies with traditional fabrication methods is changing both how manufacturing is done and what is being manufactured.
NAIT’s applied research focus on advanced manufacturing builds on multidisciplinary expertise within the School of Skilled Trades, the School of Applied Sciences and Technology and our Campus Alberta partners.
Centre for Innovative Media
The centre works with industry to integrate, develop, and test prototypes across media platforms to develop products for the commercial market.
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Centre for Sensors and System Integration
The centre helps industry partners solve sensor-based technology challenges across multiple industries.
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Business and Entrepreneurship
Alberta’s increasingly competitive business environment means industry players need to continuously hone their entrepreneurial skills. On both the provincial and national levels, businesses face increased globalization, fast-paced technological change and limited financial and managerial resources.
Research Chair:
Dr. Krista Uggerslev
Dr. Uggerslev is the Applied Research Chair in Leadership and Talent. Krista holds Ph.D. and M.Sc. degrees in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the University of Calgary.