The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Applied Research partners with industries to develop clean technologies, protect intellectual property, and maximise research funding to support sustainability goals and enhance community prosperity.
Alberta, Canada’s energy hub, is known for its diverse ecological landscapes, which present both opportunities for innovation and unique environmental challenges. Alberta’s pedigree has long been a leader in clean energy production, contributing over $135bn to Canada’s GDP in 2022. However, given the demand for improved industrial environmental, social and governance reporting, Alberta’s key industry players are putting more resources into developing clean technologies. In fact, according to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association, Alberta accounted for more than 92% of Canada’s overall growth in renewable energy and energy-storage capacity in 2023.
Alberta’s commitment to balancing economic growth with environmental stewardship, combined with its world-class workforce in energy and resource sectors, positions it perfectly for driving impactful, sustainable change. This is where the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology’s (NAIT) Applied Research shines.
Olle Lagerquist, Associate Vice President of NAIT Industry Solutions, said: “NAIT is a leader in applied research and innovation, proudly ranking among Canada’s top research polytechnics and colleges. Our core focus on environmental sustainability drives us to deliver cutting-edge technological solutions and process improvements for our industry partners, students, and communities, establishing ourselves as a trusted partner in innovation.”
Our model – industry and community partnerships
At the core of NAIT Applied Research’s commitment to environmental sustainability are its seven applied research centres, which serve as critical drivers of innovation and bring expertise from land reclamation, cleaner energy, circular economy, data management and industrial automation to even helping the culinary industry reduce food waste. These centres work directly with industry and community partners to develop and implement cutting-edge technologies, processes, and services that not only reduce environmental impact but also enhance economic performance. This multi-disciplinary approach to applied research enables us to offer our partners end-to-end solutions for their challenges.
NAIT Applied Research is actively collaborating with industry partners to drive innovation in critical areas to advance environmental performance within Alberta’s energy sector. By addressing critical challenges like greenhouse gas emissions, tailings management, and land reclamation, we are developing sustainable environmental solutions focused on restoring natural landscapes, particularly in Alberta’s boreal forest and wetlands. By exploring new technologies and nature-based solutions, we are accelerating the restoration of disturbed sites, helping to re-establish functional landscapes and improve the overall sustainability of industrial activities.
Our work in Alberta’s unique environmental contexts provides a valuable model that can be adapted to similar industrial landscapes worldwide. We create frameworks that can be tailored to meet the needs of other regions. In addition to our in-house expertise, NAIT Applied Research sets itself apart by prioritizing intellectual property (IP) protection for its partners. Unlike many research collaborations, we do not claim any ownership over the innovations, products, or prototypes developed in partnership. This allows businesses to retain full control of their creations, fostering an environment where innovation can thrive.
NAIT Applied Research also helps partners stretch their resources by supporting strategic grant writing and funding applications. By tapping into government and agency funding, we ensure research investments are maximised, making ambitious sustainability goals more attainable for our industry and community partners.
Lagerquist said: “We are explicitly designed and purpose-driven to support industry and communities. Everything we do is in service of industry and communities, bar none. We don’t take any intellectual property; it all gets returned to the company or community partner. Our fundamental purpose is to drive the success of companies and communities. Our success is measured by our partners’ prosperity and the impact on the communities we serve.”
As a polytechnic, we are dedicated to training the workforce of tomorrow, in close partnership with industry. Our research partnerships often result in new innovations that shape both the workforce and the training programmes offered. By solving problems in real-time, NAIT Applied Research ensures that cutting-edge knowledge is integrated into course content, enriching the learning experience. Students benefit from hands-on, practical training in real-world environments, equipping them with the skills and expertise needed to thrive in the current industry landscape – rather than relying on theory alone. This approach, in collaboration with NAIT Corporate and Continuing Education, ensures graduates are well-prepared to meet the demands of today’s industries the moment they enter the workforce.
A partnership with NAIT Applied Research gives organisations access to top-tier talent, cutting-edge resources, and an unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability. Together, we are solving today’s challenges and creating a workforce equipped for tomorrow.
Our successes – solutions in environmental sustainability
With our partners, we are leading environmental sustainability initiatives that are not only effective here in Canada but also transferable to other geographical jurisdictions. Whether in land reclamation and management, developing inputs for circular economies, creating prototypes and automation, or engaging with Indigenous communities in environmental monitoring, we offer scalable, adaptable solutions that can drive sustainability across diverse regions.
Land reclamation and management
Our land reclamation experts are at the forefront of advancing novel reclamation solutions to support the environmental sustainability of Alberta’s boreal forests and wetlands. Through a collaboration with our industry partner, ConocoPhillips Canada, our scientists have helped change the way we think about and approach topsoil stockpiles, noxious weed growth, and tree planting spacing. Our methodology can reduce the time to full land reclamation, accelerating the growth of Canada’s boreal forests and peatlands, important landscapes in the fight against climate change.
“Our partnership with NAIT Applied Research has been instrumental in driving innovation and excellence in our reclamation efforts. At ConocoPhillips Canada, we’re always looking for ways to innovate and find better ways to do our work. The fact that we can use the research findings to improve outcomes makes our partnership with NAIT Centre for Boreal Research so valuable.
Robert Albricht, Supervisor Environmental Operations, ConocoPhillips Canada, said: NAIT Applied Research’s commitment to safety and work ethic combined with Dr Amanda Schoonmaker’s passion and insatiable curiosity are unique to NAIT’s approach. The Boreal Forest Reclamation project has allowed us to experiment and try different techniques that challenge the status quo of reclamation practices and develop new tools in our reclamation toolkit.”
Creation of circular economies
We specialise in the creation, maintenance and improvement of circular economies: that is, taking material and seeing it used and reused through several cycles. Through a partnership with Heartland Polymers, a producer of polypropylene, we aim to keep plastics out of the environment and in the economy where they belong. Our efforts range from creating standard protocols for measuring microplastics in drinking water to developing new products from post-consumer recycled plastic blends, all aimed at advancing the plastic circular economy.
In collaboration with industrial partners, NAIT Applied Research is also transforming agricultural by-products into high-value products. Using starches from high-protein sources like pulses, we are creating new products from this nutritional substance, such as biofuels and bioplastics.
Automation and digitisation
We help our industry partners create prototypes and automation to make jobs safer, more efficient, and less time-consuming. From concept to creation, we help our partners develop their ideas and help improve their operations and efficiencies. A proof of concept is our collaboration with Imperial Oil, which has created an all-terrain drone to inspect large mining vehicles. This fully autonomous vehicle allows for consistent monitoring of these large vehicles without the need for constant human intervention, providing a more efficient and safer workflow for Imperial’s employees.
Environmental monitoring in Indigenous Communities
NAIT Applied Research’s partnerships with Indigenous communities are integral to supporting environmental sustainability goals in Alberta. At the heart of these partnerships is a dedication to incorporating Indigenous Traditional Knowledge into our applied research practices. Indigenous knowledge systems, which emphasize the interconnectedness of all life, provide a holistic perspective on land and resource management. Our approach integrates this worldview with scientific research, fostering more comprehensive and sustainable solutions for challenges like land reclamation, environmental monitoring, and forest restoration.
This approach helps NAIT Applied Research create solutions that respect the land and culture of Indigenous communities while also addressing industry needs. Our community-first approach keeps the needs of our partners at the forefront of any project, allowing them to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to empower their decisions and people.
This programme trains the next generation of Indigenous scientists, equipping them with the skills to run tests and set up labs in their own communities, enabling them to economically benefit their communities and maintain data sovereignty.
Vickie Wetchie, Executive Director, Akamihk Community Development Society, Montana First Nation, said: “We’re not left behind. NAIT will help us get there, whether it be digital literacy or bringing in technology by using their labs or bringing their labs out. For them to be able to do that and extend that and build those partnerships is terrific.
It’s really helping from all different angles, and the fact that they can help us tailor a curriculum to our needs is so important. Unfortunately, we don’t have a great history with education, and that can sometimes be an obstacle for us. But I think times are changing, and we can do things together, and it can work out with positive outcomes.”
NAIT Applied Research – your new partner in the fight against climate change
In an era of heightened global focus on environmental sustainability, NAIT Applied Research stands at the forefront of driving meaningful change. Our commitment to advancing clean technologies and sustainable practices across industries demonstrates our dedication to a greener future. With a strong foundation in environmental sciences and sustainability, we develop solutions that are not only effective in Canada but adaptable across different regions and industries. With a strong foundation in environmental sciences and sustainability, we are ready to extend our expertise beyond borders, forging international partnerships that will further accelerate the transition to a more sustainable world.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 20th edition of our quarterly publication.
