Innovation Anthology #283:

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The science and innovation landscape in Alberta started the New Year with an extreme makeover.

Gone are the familiar names like the Alberta Research Council, Alberta Ingenuity and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.

The restructuring exercise the provincial government announced last spring has merged and purged several research agencies.

What has emerged are four new organizations linked by the brand Alberta Innovates.

So what we have now as of January 2010 are Alberta Innovates Health Solutions,
Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions,
Alberta Innovates Energy Solutions.
And Alberta Innovates Technology Solutions.

Gone are the presidents and CEO’s like Dr. Peter Hackett and John McDougall. Their positions are replaced by Chairs.

Will this change make a difference?

The minister hopes so.

When first introducing changes into the legislature last spring, Doug Horner said the restructuring would streamline Alberta’s innovation system. And it would strengthen the commercialization process.

Hence the new concierge approach, or “one stop shopping” for research, technology development and commercialization.

Is Alberta Innovates the right solution? Only time will tell.

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

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Program Date: 2010-01-14