Edmonton’s manufacturing industry is built on innovation.
Local companies in this sector create and build cutting-edge technologies in the fields of biotechnology, energy, medical devices, electronics and semiconductors. These new technologies encourage evolution, efficiency and sustainability for both local and global economies.
The Edmonton region is responsible for nearly 40 per cent of Alberta’s total manufacturing output. The region is also a hub for research institutions, university labs, accelerators and companies that are dedicated to advancement.
The City of Edmonton’s Edge Fund supports companies pursuing innovative advancements in manufacturing. Recent fund recipients include NGT Energy, ZeroPoint Cryogenics and Millennium Three Technologies. Their projects have the potential to transform Edmonton’s economy.
Creating new jobs and revenue streams
NGT Energy is developing a device that will create a more precise and more reliable way to measure oil, gas and water as they flow from wells or through pipelines. The device, called a Multiphase Flow Meter, is also safer than older types of measuring systems like radioactive meters.
NGT Energy received $100,000 from the Edmonton Edge Fund to support its commitment to evolving practices through new innovations in the oil and gas industry. The company is using the funding to complete designs for two state-of-the-art Multiphase Flow Meter (MPFM) prototypes. NGT Energy intends to sell the devices to North and South American markets, in turn making an impact by manufacturing them right here in Edmonton
“Manufacturing NGT’s MPFMs will create jobs and additional revenue streams for associated business sectors in the Edmonton area,” says Armando Sanchez Lona, NGT Energy’s President and Project Lead.
Fueling quantum and scientific research
In addition to oil and gas, Edmonton’s manufacturing industry also supports cutting-edge scientific research happening in institutions in the city and internationally.
Zero Point Cryogenics is a company that builds dilution refrigerators used for quantum and low-temperature applications, leveraging the research of its CTO, Dr. John P. Davis. These refrigerators can be used to cool devices used in quantum computing as well as samples for scientific study.
Researchers across Canada rely on Zero Point’s cryogenic technology for various industries, academia and government. The company is the only manufacturer of dilution refrigerators in North America and its current partners include the University of Alberta, the Government of Canada, the University of Waterloo, and Michigan State University, among many other labs and industry leaders.
With the help of $723,000 from the Edge Fund, Zero Point will be able to grow its business worldwide.
“Thanks to the Edge Fund, we are making investments in capital equipment to help us scale, in people to help us grow and in sales and marketing to help us commercialize our technology,” shared Elise Usunier, CCO of Zero Point Cryogenics.
“The investment is a growth catalyst for us as we look to employ a significant number of skilled team members and execute our globally focused go-to-market strategy.”
Augmenting reality to build better
Edmonton’s manufacturing industry also utilizes groundbreaking computer software and hardware to spur innovation.
Millennium Three Technologies is a company using “computer-vision” technology in the world of pre-fabricated assembly. This complex technology uses smart cameras and techniques created through the research of Dr. Mark Fiala, the founder of Millennium Three Technology.
His advancements will be used for industrial applications, like helping Edmonton pipe fabrication shops get more done faster, despite a reduction of available workers in skilled trades such as welding and pipefitting. Millennium Three’s technology will also serve as a general purpose, high-accuracy measurement tool for multiple industries, allowing companies to increase the speed and precision of production and reduce the potential for shutdowns that impact productivity and safety.
“We’re excited to bring years of advanced computer-vision technology to support and boost the important real-world fabrication shops in Edmonton that support a lot of Alberta’s energy industry,” says Mark Fiala, CEO of Millennium Three Technologies.
The City of Edmonton is proud to support companies that are continuing to reimagine the landscape of manufacturing and technology, creating more jobs and transforming the local economy.
In 2024, the Edge Fund awarded $5 million to 17 businesses and organizations across eight industries to start, scale or grow their initiatives.
Editor’s note: the pic at the top of the post shows Cory Kapty, technician at Zero Point Cryogenics, assembling a gold plated-chandelier component of a dilution refrigerator in Edmonton.
This article is the third in a series about the City of Edmonton’s Edge Fund and its recipients. Read about the businesses bringing Edmontonians together or learn about how Edge Fund is supporting new evolutions in the energy industry to make it more sustainable for our future. For more about the Edge Fund, visit edmonton.ca/EdgeFund.