September 12, 2011

Calgary, Alberta – The Government of Canada is strengthening Alberta’s position as a global leader in the high-tech field of geomatics by providing local companies with access to specialized equipment needed to develop new products and services for the market.

Today, Lee Richardson, Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre, on behalf of the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, announced an investment of $6 million towards TECTERRA Inc. to acquire prototyping and pilot testing equipment.

“Our Government’s investment is enabling small- and medium-sized geomatics firms to access leading-edge equipment and resources that are essential for developing new technologies for market in a cost efficient manner, as well as generating high-value jobs in our communities,” said MP Richardson.

The equipment significantly enhances TECTERRA’s existing technology development services that are delivered through its Prototyping and Pilot Projects (p2P) program. By providing firms the ability to evaluate and assess their technologies, the project is expected to result in a more rapid movement of new ideas and applications from the lab to market.

“This investment from the Government of Canada strengthens TECTERRA’s capacity to stimulate Alberta’s resource-based economy by supporting the commercialization of geomatics technology and the development of highly qualified professionals in the province,” said Dr. Mohamed Abousalem, Chief Executive Officer at TECTERRA.

Geomatics is the science and technology of gathering, analyzing and using geographical information. Geomatics technologies have a wide range of applications in a number of sectors, including oil and gas, environment, agriculture, and forestry. In Alberta, there are an estimated 500 geomatics companies that support the employment of approximately 7,300 people. Annual revenues for the geomatics sector in Alberta are expected to reach more than $5.7 billion by 2017.

As a not-for-profit Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, TECTERRA supports the commercialization of geomatics technologies, with a specific focus on applications for the resource sectors.

 

Western Economic Diversification Canada works with the provinces, industry associations and communities to promote the development and diversification of the western economy, coordinates federal economic activities in the West and advances the interests of western Canadians in national decision making.

 

The following are the remarks given by Lee Richardson at the announcement of funding for Tecterra.

Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone.

It is an honour to be here today on behalf of our Conservative Government and my colleague, the Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification.

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge my fellow platform guests:

Dr. Mohamed Abousalem, CEO of TECTERRA;

I am proud to join all of you here at TECTERRA for an announcement that will further enhance Alberta’s leadership in the growing, and increasingly important, field of geomatics.

Our Government recognizes that Western Canada’s advanced technology sector is a vital in growing our economy and creating jobs – both for today and in the future.

Geomatics — which is the science of gathering, analyzing and using geographical information — is an example of an area in which Canada, in particular Alberta, has considerable strengths.

In fact, Alberta alone represents 40 per cent of the Canadian market and has an estimated 500 geomatics firms that support approximately 7,300 high-value jobs in our communities. [1]

With annual revenues for the geomatics sector in Alberta expected to reach more than $5.7 billion dollars by 2017, we are well positioned to be a leader in developing new technologies and applications for the global market.

As a not-for-profit Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research, TECTERRA is playing a vital role to help fulfill that potential.

By working directly with small- and medium-sized companies to develop their ideas into marketable products and services, the organization is working to provide firms with every opportunity to succeed in the global economy.

This is why I am pleased to announce today that the Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada, is investing $6 million dollars towards enhancing TECTERRA’s ability to support local geomatics firms in bringing their technologies to market.

Specifically, this investment has supported TECTERRA in acquiring specialized testing and prototype development equipment.

As a result, companies can now access the leading-edge equipment they need to test and evaluate their ideas and concepts.

For small- and medium-sized businesses, having this capacity to cost-effectively test new prototypes and technologies is vital to their success and ability to compete on the global stage.

In addition, these technologies could also benefit a wide range of key industries, including energy, mining, agriculture, and forestry.

Whether it’s providing guidance on how to most effectively control the spread of mountain pine beetle, enabling farmers to operate plows and fertilizer spreaders during the night, or pinpointing the best locations for installing oil and gas pipelines.

Geomatics applications are playing an ever-increasing role in the Canadian economy by adding value to our traditional industries and improving productivity performance.

Today’s investment helps ensure these types of innovative applications move beyond the lab and into the hands of customers across Canada and around the world.

WD funding for this initiative builds on the department’s previous support for Alberta’s growing geomatics sector, including:

• A total investment of $1.7 million dollars towards the University of Calgary’s Schulich School of Engineering to develop Global Navigation Satellite Systems and Global Positioning System Technologies; and
• More than $2.7 million dollars towards the Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre at the University of Lethbridge to carry out research on using satellite images for commercial applications.

These investments are enabling Western Canada to remain at the forefront of the geomatics sector and maintain its competitive position in this dynamic field.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to extend my congratulations to everyone involved in this project.

I wish you continued success and look forward to hearing of the positive outcomes that are realized.

Together, we are building a stronger West for a stronger Canada.

Thank you.