Funding maximizes green and cleantech innovation

ARIS partners with industry clients to solve challenges facing Alberta industries, from advanced manufacturing and materials to energy, water and cleantech to green building infrastructure. To increase the available skilled workforce and support rapidly-evolving industries, SAIT students are involved in these multi-disciplinary research projects. Through exposure to advanced instrumentation, prototype development, pilot demonstration and testing students enhance their experiential knowledge. The real-world experience benefits students through increased employability upon graduation.

“Support from our government partners and funding agencies is critical to advance the research we do at SAIT to drive economic growth, sustainable energy development and technology innovation,” says Jamie McInnis, Interim Director, ARIS. “The post-pandemic economic recovery, the shift within the energy industry to greener solutions and the speed of technology innovation present significant challenges, which our applied research centres are working to address.”

The more than 75,000 square foot research facility in one of Canada’s top applied research colleges is home to teams of researchers, and state-of-the-art labs and equipment used to drive applied research and innovation in Alberta.

Highlighted projects

Building Integrated Renewable Energy Infrastructure

Green Building Technologies Access Centre (GBTAC) is focused on ensuring Canada meets its targets for 2030 net-zero energy code and 2050 greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The building industry contributes 17% of all emissions across Canada. Research on new building technologies, increased testing capacity and innovation allow for more innovative applications and solutions in the green building sector. These solutions focus on net-zero and energy positive design and construction across building types, typographies and climate zones, including remote, northern, Indigenous and disaster relief infrastructure.

Clean Technologies in Energy Innovation

The Centre for Energy Research and Clean Unconventional Technology Solutions (CERCUTS) is conducting clean technology (cleantech) innovation-based research to enhance energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions during energy production and water treatment for uptake in industry partner facilities. Energy is a capitalized commodity business with complex global supply chains and distribution outlets that provide critical and essential services to all levels of society. Key outcomes of cleantech solutions at SAIT are expected to have significant environmental and economic benefits.

The Centre for Innovation and Research in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials (CIRAMM) is developing new technologies when lack of access to advanced manufacturing and prototyping resources inhibit growth. Entrepreneurs and startups are challenged when planning to move through the technology readiness levels to commercialize new products. Smart manufacturing is addressing industry need to developing cutting-edge technologies that support clean energy through advanced manufacturing and materials.

Develop oil and gas industry applications for real-time methane emissions detection in Alberta

The Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS) is developing methods to improve environmental inspections of oil and gas infrastructure using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). This project will develop applications for methane emissions detection in Alberta. This will help advance the use of UAVs for key applications such as real-time monitoring of industrial operations and energy pipelines, and floodplain mapping.

SAIT’s ARIS teams work with industry to solve real-world technology and process innovation challenges and rapidly bring solutions to market.

In the last few years, ARIS has worked with 600+ companies to build more than 425 prototypes. All industry partners keep their intellectual property — SAIT is an unbiased partner.

A commitment to collaborate with industry as co-leaders in building the economy is an institutional priority within SAIT’s 2020-2025 strategic plan, New World. New Thinking.

The partner you want. The solutions you need. ARIS develops new or improved technologies in response to the innovation needs of industry — connect with our experts today.

List of awards

We gratefully acknowledge the grant funding received from the following federal and provincial government organizations and our industry partners over the past year:

• NSERC Innovation Enhancement grant award for CIRAMM of $2.0 million
• NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges for CERCUTS of $1.0 million for in-situ steam generation and clean technologies (total value with secured industry partner funding is $1.75 million)
• Canada Foundation for Innovation Award to GBTAC: $1.0 million
• Prairies Economic Development Canada to CERCUTS, GBTAC, CIRAMM: $1.43 million (total value with secured NSERC, Alberta Innovates and industry partner funding is $3.58 million)
• Prairies Economic Development Canada to CIRUS: $760,000 (total value with secured NSERC and industry partner funding is $1.72 million)