Welcome to this week's Sunday Briefing. In this issue, read about which Calgary institution was named the top startup creator in the country, why Amii announced $30 million for U of A, and how Alberta can win the global hydrogen race. Have a great day. We'll see you again Wednesday.

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Inside Amii and U of A’s $30M bet on AI

Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) is investing $30 million to create 20 new research chairs in artificial intelligence at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. The new positions will focus on interdisciplinary research, exploring how AI can push the boundaries of research into fields including health, energy, physics, and Indigenous leadership.

Cam Linke, CEO of Amii, which has invested in AI research for decades, said the ambition to make U of A a global leader in AI is evident today, and it will continue to see the impact of that for decades. He said the new investment will include an international recruiting call to hire 20 new researchers in AI, building on the global leadership already in place in the field.

“Some of the biggest challenges facing the world today are going to be tackled by this group, Linke said. "And advancing this field and the impact it can have will be done using the most important tool of our time, artificial intelligence."

🤝 Funding, Deals + Partnerships

• The Canada Infrastructure Bank and City of Calgary close a $165 million investment toward zero-emission buses. Details

• A red-hot year for VC investment in agtech. Stathy Markatos, Scott Exner, John A. Brigidear / MLT Aikins

• NBA deal sets up Calgary fan data company StellarAlgo for shot at the big leagues. Jonathon Sharp / CBC

📰 News To Know

• UCalgary is once again the No. 1 startup creator among research institutions in Canada. Julia MacGregor / UCalgary news

• 20 Prairie agtech startups to watch. Calgary Tech Journal

• Doortender continues solid run as local tech startup. Josh Hall / rdnewsNOW

• A look at sustainable transportation technology company TangoRide. Sheila O'Hearn / Calgary Chamber

• SAIT is looking to hire a new chief information security officer. Details

• Upcoming event: Unbounce chief product officer Darby Sieben on what makes a successful product manager. Register / Product Calgary

• Community and campus collide in newly launched social innovation hub. Chantal Palmer, Joanne Nowak / Innovate Calgary

• Energy firm Wood finds new home to accommodate rapid growth in Calgary. David Parker / Calgary Herald

• Entrepreneur Lourdes Juan was featured as a Compelling Calgarian. Barb Livingstone / Calgary Herald

📊 By The Numbers

• 27 percent – Calgary downtown vacancies, down 2.5 percent since Q4 2021. "A new report from commercial real estate broker Avison Young shows the worst of Calgary's empty downtown core may be behind us." CBC

💡 POV: Ideas and Insights

• Malcolm Bruce, CEO of Edmonton Global, writing in the Calgary Herald: The global race for hydrogen is on. Here’s how Alberta can win

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