New EEDC boss says he’ll focus on tech and tourism
Technology and tourism are two key areas when it comes to strengthening Edmonton’s economy, says the new CEO of the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC).
Derek Hudson took over the seat as CEO of the EEDC, the City of Edmonton’s innovation company, on Aug. 8. In Hudson’s previous post as the EEDC’s chief operating officer, his work involved corporate services, innovation and the Shaw Conference Centre.
With past roles in management, finance and consulting, Hudson has 30 years of experience. In the technology sector, he was co-founder and chief financial officer of the University of Alberta
microtechnology spinoff company, Micralyne.
Hudson spoke with Postmedia about his plans to foster a more robust economy by building a “critical mass” of trained professionals in the city, as well as strengthening its non-resource sectors — technology and tourism. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Q What are some of your main goals as CEO?
A My main goal is to develop a more resilient economy. A number of years ago Edmonton was identified as having one of the most diverse economies in Canada. But as we found out when the oil price tanked a few years ago, we’re actually far more integrated than you might think … It would be great to broaden our economic base.
Q Are there any particular sectors you’re interested in?
A Tourism — tourism doesn’t follow the same cycles and that’s new money coming into the economy. On the technology side, we’re focusing on health, big data, analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Q What are your plans for developing the artificial intelligence sector?
A We want to actually build a physical location — we’re calling it the “innovation hub” right now — as a place for programs to be held, community events, and also to allow startup companies and companies interested in that space to be able to be located together … If you think about Startup Edmonton, and what that’s meant for small, mostly software-based technology companies, only bigger, better, and bolder.
Q What new things are you going to bring to Edmonton’s economy?
A One thing I’d really like to see for Edmonton is that we all get good, solid management principles, and then adding appropriate technology to those. Ideally, some of that technology would be homegrown. Let’s put it this way: I cannot stand in a buffet line at a wedding reception or party without figuring out how to make it flow better. So I look at all kinds of business problems from that lens.
Q What’s one place in Edmonton every newcomer should see?
A Everyone in Edmonton needs to walk, run, or bike in the river valley. Or even better, they need to paddle on the North Saskatchewan River. It’s not enough to be on the top of the bank looking at the views — which are awesome — but to really experience it you’ve got to be down on the trails, on the river.