Why choose Alberta

Alberta is committed to strengthening and expanding mutually beneficial relationships with our international partners to advance new opportunities for people and businesses in Alberta and around the world. When it comes to partnering with Alberta, we have a lot to offer.

In Alberta, we dream big, think boldly and move fast to solve some of the world’s biggest challenges: from responsible energy development, emissions management and carbon capture and storage to value-added agriculture and forestry, breakthroughs in life sciences, cutting-edge technology and more. 

Alberta is also home to some of the world’s most livable cities with a young, educated, innovative, entrepreneurial and diverse population. Our province also has a burgeoning tech sector, vibrant research and development ecosystem and one of the most business-friendly climates in North America.

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    Low corporate income tax

    Alberta’s 8% general corporate income tax rate is the lowest in Canada and among the lowest in North America.

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    Growing population

    With a 4.4% population increase in 2023 alone, Alberta has the fastest growing population in Canada and a young, diverse and skilled workforce.

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    Business friendly environment

    The Alberta government's efforts to cut red tape have saved Albertans and Alberta businesses more than $2.75 billion since 2019.

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    Trusted trading partner

    In 2023, Alberta exported $174.9 billion worth of goods to international markets spanning energy, farm and food, forestry, chemical, rubber and plastic products to industrial machinery, parts and equipment, consumer goods and more.

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    Strong labour force

    Alberta’s labour market remains one of the hottest in Canada, creating jobs in high earning positions in sectors across our economy.

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    Capital investment

    In 2023, Alberta’s per capita non-residential investment was 75% higher than the Canadian average.

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    World-class post-secondary education system

    Alberta's post-secondary education system is internationally recognized for exceptional universities, colleges, technical institutes and innovative research facilities.

Industry highlights

  • Responsible energy development

    Alberta is Canada’s energy province and a trusted resource and energy partner. We are in an excellent position to help meet the world's energy demands, share technological innovation and support the transition away from emissions.

    • Alberta is home to the fourth-largest proven oil reserves in the world and is making unprecedented investments in carbon capture, utilization and storage, hydrogen, small modular reactors, geothermal breakthroughs and many other technologies. 
    • Alberta is also Canada’s leading jurisdiction for renewable energy development, which is an essential component of our current and future energy mix.
    • Alberta is the largest hydrogen producer in Canada. We have the resources and expertise needed to become a major global supplier of responsibly produced clean hydrogen. The Hydrogen Roadmap is our plan to build a lower emission energy future with hydrogen and access global markets.
    • Canada is in the top 5 natural gas producers in the world – two-thirds of which come from Alberta. We have a plan for a diversified future for the natural gas sector.

  • Environment and emissions reduction

    Alberta has paved the way on climate policy and emissions management for more than two decades and is a global leader in responsible energy production and emissions reductions.

  • Petrochemicals

    Alberta is becoming an international hub for petrochemicals. Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is home to global companies like Dow Chemicals and Shell that are developing products for customers around the world.

    Dow Chemicals chose Alberta as the location to build its $11.6 billion net-zero petrochemical plant, one of the largest private investments in the province’s history.

  • Technology and innovation

    There has never been a better time to be in tech in Alberta. We have seen the largest expansion in the number of tech companies, tech jobs and tech investment in the province's history. Over 2,800 tech companies have moved to Alberta over the last 5 years.

    Alberta companies are accelerating innovation and commercializing new technologies in artificial intelligence, clean resources, health and life sciences, smart agriculture and more to solve some of the world’s most complex challenges. 

    • Alberta’s Technology and Innovation Strategy is strengthening Alberta’s technology and innovation sector and positioning the province as an internationally-recognized technology and innovation hub that attracts talent, business and job-creating investment from across Canada and around the world.
    • Alberta Innovates is a provincial Crown corporation that provides funding, business advice and connections as well as applied research and industrial testing facilities to accelerate research and innovation in Alberta.
       

  • Agriculture

    Alberta is home to a strong primary and value-added agriculture industry that is producing food to meet the needs of our partners around the globe. Alberta is Canada’s third-largest exporter of agri-food products, accounting for 19% of Canada’s total agri-food exports in 2022.

    The sector’s strength is supported by abundant natural resources, a mature primary production industry, an evolving value-added industry and an innovation ecosystem across the entire value chain.

    Agriculture trade and investment services and resources are available for Alberta exporters and international buyers and investors.

  • Film and television

    Alberta is a world class filming destination and investment in Alberta’s film and television industry is at an all-time high. Producers around the world are choosing Alberta thanks to its competitive financial advantages, breathtaking locations, world-class studios and exceptional crews and talent.

    This includes HBO’s hit series 'The Last of Us', which is the largest television production in Alberta’s history and one of the largest in Canada. 

Key programs and incentives

Alberta has created incentives to attract investment and accelerate growth in key sectors across our economy including petrochemicals, clean technologies, agri processing and more.

The Alberta Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit is available to corporations that invest at least $10 million to build or expand value-added agri-processing facilities in the province. 

The Alberta Petrochemicals Incentive Program offers funding to attract investment in Alberta’s petrochemicals sector. 

The Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program offers funding to help accelerate the development of carbon capture, utilization and storage in Alberta. 

The Film and Television Tax Credit supports medium and large-scale productions filming in Alberta.

The Innovation Employment Grant supports small and medium-sized businesses that invest in research and development with a grant worth up to 20% of qualifying expenditures.

Wayfinding services

To support potential investors, Alberta’s government offers wayfinding services and other business attraction initiatives for investments. 

Contact the Invest Alberta Corporation to find out why Alberta is one of the most competitive places to invest or establish a business. As a provincial Crown corporation, the Invest Alberta Corporation expedites business operations, fosters collaboration and goes the extra mile to ensure long-term success for businesses.

Investors and businesses looking to set up shop in Alberta can also explore opportunities using our suite of interactive data tools:

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Alberta Economic Dashboard

Use the Alberta Economic Dashboard to discover economic information about Alberta, from key indicators to building your own custom dashboards.

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Alberta Site Selector Tool

The Alberta Site Selector Tool combines available property listings in communities across Alberta with insights on local economic conditions, industry data and proximity to crucial infrastructure to help businesses and investors from around the world find the best location in Alberta for their business.

Contact Alberta's international offices

Map of the world with Alberta highlighted and indicators for where each international office is located around the world.

Alberta’s government maintains a network of 16 international offices in 4 key regions to enhance the province’s efforts to promote trade, build mutually beneficial partnerships and attract business and investment to the province.

Our offices also include agriculture specialists in the United States, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore and Germany who provide concierge services tailored to investors, importers and exporters in agricultural and food industries.