Calgary will become home to another major technology hub as IBM announced today the creation of a Client Innovation Centre (CIC) for Western Canada based in the city, creating 250 jobs.
In the last year Amazon, RBC, and Rogers have all announced that they would be establishing engineering hubs in Calgary and aggressively hiring.
The new IBM innovation hub will have a focus on sustainability, delivering consulting services and technologies like 5G, artificial intelligence, hybrid cloud and blockchain, helping to elevate Alberta’s position as a centre for energy transformation.
Through the Western Canada CIC, IBM will help organizations accelerate their environmental and social goals to create a long-lasting impact for their communities, employees, customers and investors.
“The new IBM Client Innovation Centre will play an important role in contributing to Alberta’s economic growth through job creation and the engagement of local expertise. It will accelerate innovation in sustainable practices and advance the position of Alberta as a hub for energy transformation,” said Dave McCann, president of IBM Canada.
“IBM has a long and established presence in the province and we are excited to expand our capability in Calgary in support of our clients in Western Canada.”
IBM is working with Invest Alberta, Calgary Economic Development and Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF) to establish the CIC.
The creation of the CIC aligns with shared objectives of the Province and City of Calgary to create jobs, improve workforce skills training, and further grow the tech sector, which has already been accelerating at a rapid pace.
According to a report from Calgary Economic Development and IDC Canada, Alberta’s spending on digital transformation is expected to surpass $20 billion by 2024, of which Calgary businesses will account for nearly $7.5 billion. This represents an average growth of 13% across all industries.
Calgary’s growth as a Western Canada tech hub, plus its skilled and diverse workforce, were fundamental reasons for its selection as the headquarters for the new IBM CIC.
“The expansion of IBM in the downtown core is yet another signal of confidence in our city’s growing tech sector,” said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “As Calgary’s reputation for innovation grows, more companies like IBM are recognizing the value Calgary offers including the ability for their people to have a rewarding career and great life here. It also underscores the importance of continuing to invest in tech scale-up efforts, essential to attracting more growth to our city.”
Roles in the Calgary-based centre will include application developers, business and transformation analysts, testers and project managers and more, all of which are in demand by Canadian businesses.
The CIC will assume a portion of the 25,000 square feet office IBM currently holds in the Beltline area of downtown Calgary as a collaboration hub for IBM, clients and partners.
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