Growth Through Innovation

The Reality for Alberta Manufacturers

Alberta’s manufacturers are under extraordinary pressure in a difficult market to deliver on day-to-day commitments while securing sales in the short-term. It is difficult to pay attention to new industry developments, challenge existing assumptions, and reorient business models for success in the long-term. 

As Steve Jobs professed, "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."

The Opportunity

The Alberta Manufacturer Innovation Accelerator (AMIA) provides manufacturers with the innovation mindset and capacity to improve their diversification and growth potential. AMIA will enable companies to look beyond their current problem spaces, identify new customers, product and market opportunities, and successfully execute on their innovation plans. AMIA will make real change happen in these organizations.

The AMIA is a four-step innovation program held over a 20-week period, leveraging both in-class face-to-face engagement, coaching/mentoring and webinar-based milestone reviews.

Unlike traditional forms of education that serve to teach the individual, AMIA is focused on accelerating your business. Everything you do will be in the context of your business you’re your industry. As the name implies, an accelerator is designed to rapidly guide you through the process from idea to sales. It requires companies to not only attend the four in-person sessions, but to commit to moving forward between the touch points.

Companies selected to participate will leave with:

• hands on experience of the innovation process, from initial idea to sales readiness;

• an enduring capacity to drive future innovation in their business models;

• a heightened aspiration for innovation and growth;

• clarity in their current and future innovation process, along with the tools to make innovation happen;

• a platform from which to build relationships with peers in the industry.

 PROGRAM DELIVERY

The Government of Alberta Ministry of Industry Development, Economic Development and Trade has partnered with the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Mount Royal University to deliver this unique program specifically targeting Alberta’s manufacturers.

• The Institute’s Director, Ray DePaul, is also the Calgary Chamber of Commerce’s Innovator-in-Residence and the driving force behind the popular Ignite Accelerator offered by the Chamber.

• The Institute’s Associate Director, Dr. Simon Raby, brings an unparalleled depth of knowledge through his research into the growth drivers of 1000’s of small and medium businesses.

AMIA combines these perspectives to deliver a program that is designed to have a lasting impact on Alberta manufacturers.

Program enrollment

We are currently recruiting ambitious companies to be part of the second cohort of the Innovation Accelerator which is scheduled to begin in Fall 2019. For further information regarding the program, please watch the 10X Growth Program Briefing Webinar. 

Interested in learning more? Please email Ray or Simon at growthcompass@mtroyal.ca.