Germany-alberta program grows

EDMONTON — An innovative matchmaking program that aims to partner Alberta high-tech firms with smallto medium-sized German companies for research and commercialization of projects is being expanded.

The initiative has had success this year, as four Alberta companies signed deals, and the $2-million program funded by the province will now offer up to $250,000 each for Alberta firms, while the German government is contributing directly to partners in that country.

“We have got a lot of applications, and this year we think 10 Alberta firms could be accepted,” said Cornelia Sarwas, manager of the Edmonton-based German-Canadian Centre for Innovation and Research.

Sarwas says Germany is keen to encourage co-operation, and the country spends more than $700 million a year doing just that.

For companies that have never thought of working in Germany, the first step is a fall symposium in that country, at which they get to meet potential partners in a series of events. Alberta firms are given a $2,000 travel grant and company executives are taken on tours to several cities, meeting German officials who deal with clean energy, environmental technology, advanced materials, bio-technology, health, and information and communications technology.

This year Medica, the world’s largest event for health technologies, is being held in Duesseldorf from Nov. 20 to 23. So Alberta health-related firms may attend that event. Firms selected in the initial round of funding included Calgary Scientific (medical imaging), Frac Rite Environmental (environmental remediation) and Sustainable Energy Technologies (energy storage systems).