Red Deer Polytechnic has officially broke ground on the expansion of its Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing – Technology Access Centre (CIM-TAC).
Scheduled for completion in fall 2026, this expansion will increase the facility’s size from 15,000 to 25,000 square feet, the post-secondary announced on this week.
“This is an exciting day for Red Deer Polytechnic,” said Stuart Cullum, RDP president.
“The expansion of the CIM-TAC is pivotal to increasing productivity and economic growth in our region by providing more capacity for applied research, as well as education, training and work-integrated learning opportunities for our students.”
RDP states the CIM-TAC serves as "an innovation ecosystem," offering companies access to cutting-edge prototyping and manufacturing capacity, along with a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, staff and students who help transform innovative concepts into market-ready products.
Once complete, the expanded centre is expected to offer work-integrated learning experiences for approximately 450 post-secondary students annually, while also providing workshops and training opportunities to another 2,000 students by 2030. Additionally, more than 500 junior and senior high school students will benefit from dual credit programming at the facility.
"The CIM-TAC expansion will enhance RDP’s ability to support a broad range of sectors – including energy innovation, transportation, aviation and agriculture – through advanced manufacturing solutions," states a RDP media release.
"The centre will also grow its capacity in medical device development and health care innovation, contributing to improved outcomes for both patients and providers."
New classrooms, collaborative spaces and advanced equipment will be key features of the expanded facility, RDP notes.
Red Deer-North MLA and Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange and Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan joined the RDP Board of Governors, president Stuart Cullum and members of the applied research team for the ground-breaking event on Friday, May 9. The Government of Alberta supported the expansion project with a $12.9 million investment.
For more information about research and innovation at RDP, including the CIM-TAC, visit rdpolytech.ca/innovation.
