PROGRAM TRACKS:
Bridging the Digital Divide
Bridging the Digital Divide examines Canada’s technology landscape from two perspectives: access to broadband infrastructure in rural communities, and the evolution of “digital culture” across industry sectors. Canada is ranked 19th in overall world access to the Internet, with rural communities in particular facing limited access to broadband resources. This track will explore the challenges, lessons learned, and up-and-coming approaches needed to bridge the gap in digital access for the one million Albertans living in rural communities. This track will also explore the evolution of “digital culture” across sectors such as education, as exposure to new technologies and access to online tools transform how people do business.
• Cloud Computing for the Masses
• Techno-skeptics: A Critique of the Role of Technology in Western Society
• Culture and Creative Industries - Where Do They Fit in the ICT Landscape?
Setting R&D Priorities
This track will investigate some of the driving forces and critical factors involved in setting R&D priorities within industry sectors as well as at various levels of government. Key questions in this track include: who is leading innovation in Alberta? What criteria influence the funding of technology infrastructure in Canada? What is being done at all levels to attract and encourage innovation?
• The Economics Behind Cyberinfrastructure (CI)
• The Nexus of Science Policy and ICT Policy: Implications and Outcomes
• Ultra-efficient Data Centres - Design and Application
Building Collaborative Networks
The melding of social networking tools and data-driven applications has resulted in pervasive change for a variety of industries and research areas. To examine these phenomena, this track will take a closer look at the realm of collaborative networks – how to build them, benefit from them, and use them to leverage your experiences and successes.
• Pervasive Cloud Infrastructure: Possibilities and Opportunities in Alberta
• The Evolution of Collaborative Science
• Environmental Infrastructure: The Tools and Technologies Behind Water and Resource Management
• A Business Case for Collaborative Networks
