Alberta’s need for a single technology industry association will soon be determined, after several months of project inactivity.
A government initiative took flight last spring to create such an association but was halted in June, only to be resumed in the new year with a change of direction.
“I was asked to resume the project, but change the terms and go on out and meet with industry representatives and with people in the industry to get a viewpoint,” said Perry Kinkaide, project advisor. “Before building an association, maybe it would be a good idea to find out if industry really wants this.”
Kinkaide, a resident of St. Albert, was selected by a panel of industry personnel and Alberta Advanced Education and Technology representatives to conduct the project.
“The intent at this time was to address a problem that was seen by both parties (industry and government) and that was a lot of fragmentation along industry associations,” he said, adding it spans technologies related to information, agriculture, oil and gas, forestry and entertainment.
He is unsure why the project was paused in June, but said the change in its direction will ultimately have a more significant impact by ensuring that if an industry association is created, it will be done so in the best interests of industry as opposed to government.
“I think the easiest way to ensure it was being driven by industry itself was to go out and find out if industry really wanted it or not,” he said.
Kinkaide attended several conferences and surveyed roughly 10,000 individuals and groups with industry interests, including universities, colleges, various associations and researchers, throughout January and February.
The feedback he received during the consultation process was “all over the map,” he said — some were in favour, some were opposed, while some felt the existing associations should be merged rather than creating a new one.
He will make a recommendation to industry based on the feedback he received in this process. This is expected in early April and Kinkaide declined to provide insight into his recommendation, adding the industry deserved to hear it first.
Although the Alberta government is funding the project, Kinkaide stressed the sole intention of his recommendation is for industry.
“I will share it with government, but it is not being developed for government,” he said.
Premier Alison Redford commented on the possibility of creating a single association during her leadership campaign and provided a written response to the Alberta Council of Technologies detailing her position.
“If the industry decides to group itself into a single association as you propose, I will be more than happy to consult it in policy discussions and other areas of interests to the hi-tech sector,” she said in the letter.
Kinkaide is the founder and president of the Alberta Council of Technologies. He took a leave of absence from the council to conduct the project.
