August 22, 2018
The City of Edmonton is one of the first Canadian municipalities to join Startup in Residence (STIR), a 16-week program that brings together government agencies and startups to co-create technology solutions for civic challenges.
“After an intense application process, the City of Edmonton is proud to have been selected to participate in Startup in Residence,” said Mayor Don Iveson. “The program will help us find innovative solutions to some of the challenges we face as a municipality while tapping into the talent, knowledge and creativity of our local technology sector.”
Through a streamlined procurement process, STIR connects tech startups with government agencies to explore ways to modernize services and better serve residents. Past projects include the creation and customization of tech solutions ranging from smart sensors on municipal trash cans to the development of a chatbot interface that matches volunteers to emergency response efforts.
Since the Startup in Residence program was first piloted in San Francisco in 2014, it has expanded across North America to more than 30 cities, counties, states and regional transit authorities. This year, Edmonton joins cities Las Vegas, NV, San Diego, CA and Portland, OR.
In the coming weeks, the City of Edmonton will identify 60-80 potential challenges to be solved through this program. Startups from around the world can register on
startupinresidence.org
to be notified of these challenges, which will be posted on September 25, 2018.
“Participating in STIR is a chance for us to strengthen our already vibrant startup community and foster a more entrepreneurial spirit within our organization,” said Mayor Iveson. “It will also allow us learn about new trends in open data, procurement and civic technology to make us operate more efficiently and better serve Edmontonians.”
