Canadian Trade Commissioner Service - Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut

Sector Snapshots

• Aerospace and Defence
• Oil and Gas Equipment and Services
• Environmental Industries
• Bio-Industries - Life Sciences and Medical Devices
• Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
• Consumer Products

Aerospace and Defence

Aerospace and Defence is a priority sector for trade offices in Alberta.

Employing over 5,000 highly-skilled workers, Alberta’s aerospace and defence industry is comprised of over 150 companies offering a wide range of goods and services:

• robotics
• unmanned vehicle systems (UVS)
• defence electronics
• space sciences
• navigation and maintenance
• repair and overhaul (MRO) sub-sectors

Alberta is also home to the Canadian Centre for Unmanned Vehicle Systems(CCUVS) headquartered in Medicine Hat, which combined with the UVS corridsor in Calgary, envelops one of the largest regional UVS clusters in Canada and the military’s core UVS research facilities at Defence Research and Development Canada in Suffield. The location of CCUVS also supports such diverse industry clusters as wireless, global positioning and nanotechnology.

Please consult Trade Events in Canada for upcoming events.

Oil and Gas Equipment and Services

Oil and Gas Equipment and Services is a priority sector for trade offices in Alberta.

Canada is a world leader in the production of conventional and synthetic crude oil and natural gas and gas products, and Alberta is the home of this industry. Canada is the world’s third largest supplier of natural gas, and Alberta accounts for about 81% of Canadian production.

Alberta is also home to the world’s second largest proven crude oil reserves (175 billion barrels) after Saudi Arabia, and produces 100% of Canada’s bitumen and synthetic crude oil, 90% of its liquefied petroleum gases, 70% of total crude oil and equivalent. As such, energy development accounts for the lion’s share of Alberta’s GDP, capital investments and exports.

Not surprisingly, Alberta’s energy resources have spawned a thriving industry in equipment and services related to energy extraction and processing such as metal fabrication and pipeline and pump manufacturing.

Alberta is also a centre of innovation and expertise in enhanced petroleum resource recovery and unconventional petroleum development. Further, energy resources act as a backbone supporting other sectors and sub-sectors such as:

• business management, consulting and professional services
• geomatics, information technology, and communications
• environmental technologies

Please consult Trade Events in Canada for upcoming events.

Environmental Industries

Environmental Industries is a priority sector for trade offices in Alberta.

Generating 4.3 billion dollars in revenue in 2007, Alberta's growing environmental products and services sector is well-known for its expertise in:

• climate change and energy efficiency solutions
• recycling and waste management
• remediation
• water treatment

In 2007, the sector also generated 146 million dollars in exports and employed 27,700 workers. The two key environmental technologies shows in Alberta in the area are RemTech and Watertech.

Please consult Trade Events in Canada for upcoming events.

Bio-Industries - Life Sciences and Medical Devices

Life Sciences and Medical Devices is a priority sector for trade offices in Alberta.

Biotechnology is a growing component of a vibrant high tech sector in Alberta. The industry spans a wide spectrum of technology areas including:

• agriculture
• health
• genomics and proteomics
• bioinformatics
• nanotechnology

Medical devices made in Alberta include:

• prosthetics
• patient positioning products for surgery and rehabilitation
• wound care infection and prevention medical supplies
• specialty made contact lenses
• soft gel capsules
• products that allow people with physical disabilities to increase their productivity and attain independence (such as wheelchairs)

Please consult Trade Events in Canada for upcoming events.

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)

ICT is a priority sector for trade offices in Alberta.

Alberta’s robust ICT sector is comprised of close to 4,300 companies and 58,300 employees which generated over 11.7 billion dollars in annual revenues in 2007, making ICT Alberta’s third largest value-added sector. Alberta’s ICT sector, with its origins in oil and gas related applications, now consists of world-class companies with expertise in diverse business areas including:

• bioinformatics
• digital content
• e-learning
• global positioning systems
• health management systems
• nanotechnology
• software development
• systems integration
• telecommunications
• wireless communications

Please consult Trade Events in Canada for upcoming events.

Consumer Products

Consumer Products is a priority sector for trade offices in Alberta and is diverse and comprises many sub-sectors including:

• consumer electronics
• furniture
• jewellery
• sporting goods
• textile
• apparel
• cosmetics

In terms of Alberta’s top export sectors in 2007, furniture and bedding ranked 22nd with 255.8 million dollars worth of exports. Alberta consumer products companies differentiate themselves through product quality and targeting niche markets to remain competitive in the global market. Many consumer products companies that are emerging in Alberta are introducing new production technologies and brining a wider array of top-quality products to the table.

Please consult Trade Events in Canada for upcoming events.