The real story of Alberta’s economy includes AI labs, greenhouses, and film crews.
Alberta’s global image is often reduced to a single sector: oil and gas. Indeed, hydrocarbons have powered a significant portion of our economy and identity, but that story is incomplete. Alberta is more than pipelines and pumpjacks. Quietly, and sometimes not so quietly, a diverse range of industries is flourishing—driving innovation, creating jobs, and redefining what it means to build a future for the 21st Century.
Take technology. Alberta’s tech ecosystem is punching above its weight, particularly in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Edmonton is home to the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii), a world leader in AI research, while Calgary has seen explosive growth in tech startups and venture capital investment. These are not side hustles to energy—they’re serious engines of economic renewal, diversification and regional future-proofing.
Agriculture and agri-tech remain foundational to Alberta, but they’re also evolving fast. Precision farming, vertical greenhouses, and agri-innovation hubs are reshaping how we feed ourselves and the world. Companies here are working at the intersection of food security and sustainability—topics that matter globally, not just rurally.
The film and television industry has a long, influential history here, too. With breathtaking landscapes and competitive tax incentives, Alberta attracts major productions. From the popular series “The Last of Us” to independent Canadian films, the world is discovering what we’ve known all along—this province is cinematic gold.
Tourism is bouncing back with force. The mountains are always a big draw, but so are the stories coming from every corner of this province. Adventure travel, Indigenous cultural experiences, culinary tourism, and ecotourism all draw interest from global travellers seeking something real.
Even energy itself is diversifying. Geothermal and hydrogen projects are gaining traction, building on the province’s existing expertise in engineering and infrastructure.
The truth is this: Alberta’s identity is in motion. Oil and gas built the base, but ingenuity, adaptability, and entrepreneurial grit are shaping what’s next. To perceive Alberta as a one-hit wonder economy is to miss the rest of an album filled with diverse, creative and enlivening orchestrations.
Albertans are farmers and filmmakers, coders and creators, builders and breakers of convention.
Alberta is energy. But we also have a range of industries deeper than any oil deposit. And that’s the greater story being written; the energy of the people and entrepreneurial spirit that drives it all.
The Alberta Prosperity Project is a non-profit group that helps Albertans learn about and support Alberta’s independence. We believe Albertans should have more control over their own decisions, instead of being held back by unfair federal rules and laws. Our main goal is to achieve greater freedom, stronger rights, and a better future for all Albertans by becoming a self-governing province or an independent nation.
We stand for personal freedom, respect for the rule of law, lower taxes, and a stronger local economy. We believe Albertans should decide how to use their own natural resources, manage their healthcare and education, and protect their rights and freedoms without federal interference.
We educate people about the possibilities, process towards secession and more through public events, information campaigns, and partnerships with community groups. The APP does not support violence or illegal activity of any kind.
Our mission is to help Albertans understand what sovereignty and independence could look like and why it could lead to a more fair and prosperous province for future generations.