Article content

University of Calgary president Elizabeth Cannon says the school’s acquisition of the 30-hectare University Research Park will attract thousands of tech sector jobs to the city by creating a new innovation cluster near campus.

Tt a news conference Thursday, Premier Rachel Notley announced the Alberta government is transferring ownership of the land and three buildings. The agreement, which includes existing leases, is valued at $97 million.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or U of C acquires University Research Park from Alberta government Back to video

University officials said the research park will produce 6,300 new direct jobs over the next 20 years, including 4,500 from the private sector. The remainder would be made up of technical staff tied to sponsored university research.

“University Research Park will provide an excellent platform to further innovation and company growth, create new employment opportunities and help the economic diversification of our community,” Cannon said in a news release.