Are you familiar with VMWare and their cloud products? If not, maybe Duolingo and their language learning app, or Netflix, which started streaming movies online back in 2011? No? Perhaps you’re more on the business side, where Stripe might ring a bell, or Office 365? These are just a few examples of products and services that launched in 2011, driving the ongoing shift from on-premise or paper-based solutions to online and app-based platforms.
In Alberta, our companies were equally up to the challenge. 2011 saw the launch of ElectionBuddy, a pioneer in offering online election services for associations, unions, and businesses to move their voting processes online. SensorUp also emerged with its innovative methane emissions management software, while Jobber identified a gap in the market for home and commercial services, enabling teams to transition estimating, invoicing, scheduling, and client communications to the cloud. Levven Electronics began exploring the intersection of technology and sustainability in home building, focusing specifically on home automation and lighting.
Among the many achievements celebrated at the ASTech Awards that year were three notable winners:
Dr. David Manz was honored with the ASTech Societal Impact Award for his creation of a slow water filtration system using sand and biofilms. Born and raised in rural Saskatchewan, Dr. Manz developed a passion for science and the natural world, eventually combining his expertise in agricultural engineering with a drive to solve water contamination challenges. As a professor of civil engineering at the University of Calgary, he refined his slow sand filtration unit, which has since provided safe drinking and household water to countless communities, potentially averting a cholera outbreak in some areas. Despite holding a patent for this life-saving innovation, Dr. Manz made it royalty-free for humanitarian organizations. The Manz Water Filtration System, in existence for over thirty years, continues to protect millions of people from disease. In 2018, Dr. Manz was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence.
Sustainable Technologies Inc. (now Eguana Technologies Inc.) was recognized for Outstanding Achievement in Environmental Technology and Innovation. Their SUNERGY grid-tie photovoltaic (PV) inverter technology is revolutionizing the solar power industry, making solar electricity more cost-competitive and accessible. By overcoming traditional barriers in solar energy deployment through innovative design and scalable, efficient solutions, they’ve made solar energy a viable option even in extreme climates. The company’s commitment to continuous advancement led to a shift in focus in 2013 towards developing products for the emerging solar energy storage sector.
The Wet Area Mapping Initiative, a collaborative project between the Alberta Government and the University of New Brunswick, received the Outstanding Achievement in Environmental Technology and Innovation award. Led by Dr. Barry White, Alberta’s science lead, this initiative developed a robust platform that integrates real-time datasets into geographic information systems, enabling precise mapping of hydrological and soil features. This innovative platform addresses environmental challenges in water habitats, contributing to responsible stewardship in Alberta’s water studies. In 2023, Dr. White was appointed the inaugural Executive Director of fRI Research, a collaborative non-profit research organization in Hinton, Alberta, which brings together government, industry, and researchers to tackle land and water resource issues.
This post is in partnership with Technology Alberta and the ASTech Awards, celebrating the impact of 35 years of innovation in Alberta, tying our past to our present. Our thanks to Lisa Carter and Neil Goud for their research and support.
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