Unlocking Economic Opportunities with Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

On June 27, 2023, APEX Alberta, Southeast Alberta’s Regional Innovation Network, released a report called “Alberta’s Flight Plan: Unlocking Economic Opportunities with Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems.” Also known as “drones,” Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) offer incredible potential to transform Alberta’s economy.

The report is designed to educate on the economic opportunities from RPAS technology and explore the potential impacts to a wide array of existing industries in Canada. It also highlights the significant commercial, educational, and infrastructure assets that will enable Alberta to be the leader in this sector. The research was made possible through generous support from Alberta Innovates and is intended to support growth of the industry across Alberta.

Alberta is already the leading province with more RPAS activity per capita compared to other regions in Canada. The economy is ideally suited to benefit from various civil and commercial applications of drone technology, including precision agriculture, pipeline inspection, wildlife monitoring, forestry management, surveying, mining, and search and rescue.

“While there are significant economic opportunities in designing and developing RPAS technology, using drones to enable even a small productivity improvement in large industries, such as agriculture, will likely provide the greatest overall benefit,” Roger Haessel, Advisor, RPAS Strategy, APEX Alberta.

There are numerous assets in Alberta that make it an important technology hub for RPAS, including key infrastructure assets like the Foremost UAS Test Range and autonomous vehicle research programs like those at Defence Research and Development Canada Suffield.

In February 2023, APEX Alberta and partners hosted the Drone Conference: Alberta’s Economy Taking Flight. Drone companies and operators, drone enthusiasts, post-secondary institutions, and economic developers from across Alberta were invited to attend. Viewing locations were organized across the province for those who couldn’t travel. A full day of knowledge was shared by expert speakers for attendees to learn more about and be inspired by the present and future potential of the RPAS industry.

"Alberta has a long history in RPAS research and development. Now that the technology is commercially available, it's only natural that we would play a leadership role. Incredible expertise in this industry exists in Alberta, and we look forward to highlighting that throughout the province and across the country," Chelsey Ehresman, Manager, Centre for Innovation at Medicine Hat College.

“Drones are an incredibly powerful technology with ramifications across our economy and society. This is an exciting time to be part of the industry, and Alberta is truly at the leading edge,” Roger Haessel, Advisor, RPAS Strategy, APEX Alberta.

APEX Alberta is primarily funded by Alberta Innovates and governed by five core partners: Alberta Innovates, Community Futures Entre-Corp, Medicine Hat College, Brooks-Newell Region, and Defence Research and Development Canada - Suffield Base.