Last night, I had the opportunity to gather with members of Edmonton’s tech and innovation community to talk about where we are and where we could go. The conversation wasn’t about what we lack. It was about how we align the strengths we already have.

Edmonton is already building a city that leads with transparency, inclusion, and a deep focus on residents. But as we face economic shifts and infrastructure demands, we need more than values—we need tools.

That’s where the tech and innovation sector comes in. Not as a standalone industry, but as a partner in city-building.

Edmonton’s governance-first, purpose-led approach is well-positioned to harness the strengths of our innovation community. And if we get the alignment right, this sector won’t just complement our goals, it will catalyze them.

Tech Talent is City Infrastructure

Retaining and growing Edmonton’s tech talent is more than a workforce issue. It’s infrastructure: the connective tissue between our social and economic ambitions and our ability to deliver on them.

Whether we’re trying to build affordable housing faster, design data-driven transportation systems, or create more accessible pathways for residents to engage with their city, tech talent is part of the solution.

The cultivation and support of that talent isn’t a bonus. It’s foundational.

Four Areas Where Alignment Matters

Last night’s discussion pointed to four key areas where the City can deepen its partnership with Edmonton’s tech community:

• Talent as Infrastructure
  Let’s build a strategy that doesn’t just attract talent but also retains it. That includes creating pathways between post-secondaries, startups, public service, and anchor institutions, while making Edmonton a place where people want to build long-term lives.
  
• Innovation-Driven Service Delivery
  From smart permits and licensing to real-time data platforms, innovation can reduce inefficiencies and increase resident confidence. We need to see tech not just as an add-on, but as core infrastructure that makes service delivery better.
  
• Public-Private Collaboration
  There’s momentum in Edmonton’s innovation ecosystem, but the City needs to be more intentional in clearing the path. That means modernizing procurement, piloting new partnerships, and ensuring startups can scale with the City, not just beside it.
  
• Investing in Platforms that Scale
  We need to shift the narrative: innovation is not a cost, it’s a return-generating asset. When the City invests in digital tools, talent strategies, and pilot zones, we create value that improves outcomes across departments.
  
  

The City We Want, the City We Can Build

Innovation is already here. What’s needed now is leadership that sees it as infrastructure, not background, and puts it to work solving the challenges Edmontonians face.

That’s the kind of leadership I’m committed to bringing forward.

And this is just the beginning. Over the course of the campaign, I’ll be hosting more conversations like this one: events that dive deeper into how innovation can improve the way our city works, and how we build a more connected, inclusive Edmonton together.

Innovation isn’t a bonus—it’s a backbone. Let’s make it central to how we plan, invest, and grow as a city.

Nicholas Rheubottom

Candidate for Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi

From Our Streets to City Hall