Alberta Launches $40 Million Competition to Develop Advanced Materials from Natural Resources

FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta— The Government of Alberta has announced a $40 million investment to support advanced materials and manufacturing technologies in the province.  The funding is part of the province’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program that aims to position Alberta as a global leader in clean technology innovation.

Led by Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA), money will be awarded through a new competition which will help Alberta innovators scale, pilot, and commercially demonstrate technologies that improve areas such as the efficiency, and environmental performance of the manufacturing sector. Among the goals is the development of ways to transform Alberta’s natural resources, like bitumen, into high-value products such as vanadium, titanium, and lithium.

Successful applicants, eligible for up to $5 million each, can include inventors, businesses, Indigenous communities, municipalities, and researchers working on these cutting-edge solutions.

“We have the resources, expertise, and entrepreneurs needed to create some of the most advanced materials in the world,” said Rebecca Schulz, Alberta’s Minister of Environment and Protected Areas. “This funding competition will help develop new and exciting technologies that reduce emissions, create jobs, reuse waste, and keep growing our economy.”

“Enhancing existing products and developing new materials with superior performance while embracing circular economy strategies will help deliver deeper emissions reductions, enhance supply chain resiliency, and strengthen industrial competitiveness,” said Justin Riemer, CEO of Emissions Reduction Alberta. “This funding, sourced from Alberta’s TIER regulation, is critical, and the possibilities are endless.”

Applications for the Advanced Materials Challenge close on January 22, 2025, with more information available through Emissions Reduction Alberta’s website.