Our goal is to help industry foster new opportunities and enhance the province’s economic growth and development. We partner with industry to solve problems that matter to them, working to benefit Alberta’s key industry sectors: energy and environment; construction; bioeconomy; health and care; digital economy; manufacturing; and business, productivity and entrepreneurship that, together, impact over 90% of the province’s economy.
Our focus is on helping industry adapt to rapidly changing environments, enhancing and adopting new technologies to foster economic benefits and competitiveness on a global scale.
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.
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.
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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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.
Andrea has more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of upstream surface oil sands development, including mining, extraction, tailings and water management.
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.
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
A new applied research partnership at NAIT could dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by replacing diesel fuel with a clean-burning, non-toxic alternative.
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.
The Centre for Construction Innovation enhances productivity and global competitiveness driven by the design, modularized assembly and testing of new, industrialized approaches to infrastructure.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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.
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.
The centre works with industry to integrate, develop, and test prototypes across media platforms to develop products for the commercial market.
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.
The centre helps industry partners solve sensor-based technology challenges across multiple industries.
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.
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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Find out how NAIT followed the blood to find new efficiencies for Alberta Health.
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.
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.
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.
NAIT’s applied research happens within our applied research centres and with our applied research chairs. Our centres align with the needs of the economy, providing relevant and timely solutions for new technologies, systems and products.
The Centre for Boreal Research is an innovative applied research facility in Peace River, 500 kilometers northwest of Edmonton, staffed with a team of research scientists and technicians.
We are actively working to expand research support in a variety of industry sectors. Our proposed centres enhance our committment to sustainability, growth and diversification providing a new field of economic activity and a competitive advantage for our province and its industries.
The Centre for Chemicals and Fuels will support industry partners in developing new chemical products, technologies, processes and engineering methods to build on value-added industry opportunities.
The Centre for Sustainable Water Solutions will provide expertise for companies requiring validation and development of products that help treat, measure and optimize water usage.
The Centre for Advanced Manufacturing uses innovations like 3D printing and remote applications along with the integration of new technologies.
If you would like more information on our emerging research centres or to provide feedback and be included in our focus groups please reach out and contact our team.
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“The Centre for Sensors and System Integration values the long term relationships they develop with industry, listening to our needs, and ensuring that they deliver an innovative solution that solves our specific problem. We trust their commitment to quality, and their ability to deliver what they promise.” Steven McDougall, President and CEO, Benchmark International
“NAIT has been instrumental in understanding our needs and goals and translating those into workable experiments. Their staff are knowledgeable, accessible and deliver on expectations.” Robert Albricht, Senior Coordinator, Environmental Operations ConocoPhillips Canada
“NAIT has been instrumental in understanding our needs and goals and translating those into workable experiments. Their staff are knowledgeable, accessible and deliver on expectations.”
Robert Albricht, Senior Coordinator, Environmental Operations ConocoPhillips Canada