Alberta announced this week that it investing $10 million over three years to advance artificial intelligence and data-driven health solutions in the region.
The provincial government says that the funding will support the Health Innovation Lab, a new initiative delivered by the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute.
“Alberta has an enormous opportunity to bring together world-class medical innovators with the world-leading AI expertise at Amii,” believes Nate Glubish, who serves as Alberta’s Minister of Technology and Innovation.
The Health Innovation Lab will enable up to 12 projects annually that harness Alberta’s AI expertise to improve patient outcomes and health system efficiency.
“Together, they can develop new technologies that reduce wait times, expand the capacity of our health care system, and deliver new therapies, diagnostics, and treatments that save lives and strengthen care for Albertans,” Glubish stated.
Projects supported through the Lab will be selected from proposals submitted to Amii, with challenge calls aligned to health system priorities identified by Alberta’s government.
“Through the Health Innovation Lab, Amii is bridging excellence in research with excellence in care,” commented chief executive officer Cam Linke.
“By translating our world-leading AI into clinical tools, we are empowering clinicians and patients to achieve an outsized impact,” Linke says. “This allows us to apply our deep technical expertise directly to the province’s health priorities–ensuring Alberta-made innovation drives both economic growth and a better healthcare experience for everyone.”
The Health Innovation Lab is being delivered in collaboration with the ministries of Primary and Preventative Health Services and Hospital and Surgical Health Services.
“Clear, reliable data is essential to informed decision-making in the health care system, and this project delivers exactly that,” remarked Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services.
Alberta’s health care system will be the first to access locally developed innovations.
“By investing in innovation and the responsible use of AI, we can strengthen our health system and ensure Alberta is ready to lead in the next generation of health care,” said Adriana LaGrange, who functions as Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services.
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