SAIT opens immersive cyber range, building critical cybersecurity skills for students and industry
New downtown training hub debuts for Cybersecurity Month
MEDIA RELEASE
Calgary, AB (Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025) — The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) has officially opened its new cyber range — a high-impact, immersive cybersecurity training facility located at SAIT Downtown. One of the few cyber ranges in Alberta accessible to students, professionals and industry partners, the facility includes defender and attacker rooms, a central command centre and more than 50 customizable simulations challenging users to think critically and act decisively in high-pressure environments.
Supported by a significant philanthropic gift and launched as part of SAIT’s Real Futures campaign, the cyber range advances digital technology education and workforce preparedness in Alberta amid rising cybercrime.
“By embedding this facility in Calgary’s core and expanding access, SAIT is fast-tracking the development and growth of critical cybersecurity skills across Alberta for our students and our many partners,” says Dr. David Ross, SAIT President and CEO. “Cybersecurity is now at the core of every business and is no longer optional. This shared space fosters collaboration, innovation and resilience across sectors, building the skills needed to secure Alberta’s future.”
The urgency is clear. Calgary Police Services reported a 54% surge in cybercrime in 2024 compared to the previous year. Province-wide, Statistics Canada recorded more than 12,000 cybercrimes in 2023 — a 24% increase from 2022. The financial implications are also mounting. Canadian businesses spent $1.2 billion recovering from cyber incidents in 2023, double the cost from the year prior.
“The demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals has never been greater,” says Cherie Bowker, Dean, SAIT’s School for Advanced Digital Technology. “As we continue to elevate our cybersecurity program offerings, this new SAIT facility is exactly what Calgary needs to continue to further establish our reputation as a leader in advanced digital technology education.”
The launch of the cyber range marks a significant milestone for SAIT Downtown and the School for Advanced Digital Technology. A $30-million gift from Calgary business leader and philanthropist David Bissett in 2019 enabled SAIT to prepare students for the digital demands of tomorrow’s workforce, making both the school and the cyber range possible.
In 2024, SAIT announced a vision to evolve and expand its presence downtown with a multi-faceted central location where education can meet industry in a space that provides closer connection to partners. Today, that vision is complete.
About SAIT
Established in 1916, SAIT was the first of its kind, publicly funded technical school in North America. As a global leader in applied education, SAIT serves 40,000 students annually. SAIT offers baccalaureate and applied degree programs, diplomas, certificates, apprenticeship programs and more than 550 continuing education and corporate training courses, and specializes in four award-winning areas of applied research. Curriculum and research priorities are developed through industry partnerships to meet workforce needs and build capacity for innovation province-wide. SAIT is recognized by Mediacorp Canada Inc. as one of Alberta’s Top Employers (2024) and by Research Infosource Inc. as fourth among the Top 50 Research Colleges in Canada (2024). SAIT is ranked #53 on CEOWORLD Magazine’s list of Best Business Schools and #13 on the list of Best Hospitality and Hotel Management Schools in the World for 2025.
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About SAIT’s Real Futures Campaign
With the right training today, tomorrow’s leaders will be ready to channel constant change into new possibilities. The Real Futures campaign represents our commitment to embracing this exciting moment with the confidence that the best is yet to come — for SAIT, for our province, and for countless students and graduates alike. The Real Futures campaign is our chance to be bold, to find inventive solutions to shared problems, and to position our city and province to thrive in a world experiencing major shifts.
The Real Futures campaign will enable SAIT to deliver on the promise to transform who, how and what we teach in response to the changes unfolding across our communities, technologies and economies. With a fundraising target of $150 million, the campaign will assure SAIT’s continued ability to provide the training and skills that industry needs to stay relevant and that students need to thrive, whatever vision of tomorrow they’re working toward.
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SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.