ESTEVAN — Southeast TechHub (SETH) is set to launch the inaugural Innovation Conference for Economic Development in Rural Areas (ICED Rural) from Sept. 10 to 12. The event aims to spotlight innovation and technological advancements within rural communities, with a special focus on fostering economic growth in these areas.
The three-day conference, which will be held at the Southeast College's Estevan campus, is expected to draw approximately 120 attendees. The event is co-presented by the Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network, the Saskatchewan Economic Development Association and SETH.
According to Gordon More, the executive director of SETH, the conference has garnered interest from across Canada and the United States.
"My goal with the innovation conference is not just to engage our local community but to attract the eyes of the world to Estevan as a place to do business, especially with regards to innovation and technology," More said.
He emphasized the importance of challenging the perception that rural areas lack the capacity for innovation.
"There is a prejudice in the world towards rural communities when it comes to innovation, and it's not fair. This conference is an opportunity to prove that rural areas have both the capacity and competency for innovation," More added.
A variety of speakers, including representatives from both Canada and the U.S., will present at the event. Among the notable speakers are Greg Gosnell, the chief executive officer of GenH2, a leading company in the hydrogen infrastructure space; Christian Boyle, the CEO and founder of Shapeshift Developments, a consultancy focused on developing projects with regional impacts; Aaron Pilkington, the Republican state representative in the Arkansas House; Nick Poels, senior community manager for the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI); and a number of other Americans and Canadians, including some southeast Saskatchewan innovators and leaders in different areas.
"I want the people of Estevan and southeast Saskatchewan to see all the amazing innovation that the community has created and be proud of all that," More said. "The other side of the coin, I want the local community to be inspired to build on what it already has done for innovation and technology and keep going."
Estevan's own Jeff Sandquist, previous a corporate vice-president with Microsoft, is an advisor to SETH and the event, and will also be featured in a special session, with details to be announced at a later date.
To encourage networking, the conference will introduce a unique app developed by students from Southeast College's computer science training through projects program. This app will group attendees based on their professional backgrounds, allowing for more targeted networking opportunities. The app will be demonstrated alongside a robot built by the SETH participants, showcasing local innovation in action.
Registration for the conference is now open, with tickets priced at $120. Discounts are available for members of the Estevan and Weyburn Chambers of Commerce. With about a third of tickets sold, More noted that he is seeing interest coming from the U.S. and different areas in Canada.
As the countdown to the conference continues, More is optimistic about the event's potential to not only highlight the achievements of rural communities but also inspire further innovation and collaboration.
"Our region is a hub of pioneering efforts, hosting the world's first coal-powered generation plant with carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS), alongside advancements in lithium extraction, geothermal energy, and the upcoming establishment of small modular reactors (SMRs)," More said in the ICED Rural intro.
"Located in the heart of North America's agricultural belt, our region also hosts a lignite coal mine exploring coal-to-hydrogen and graphite conversion. These developments position Estevan as the perfect place for rural innovators across North America to come together. So join us in Estevan to connect, learn, and collaborate on driving economic development and diversification in our communities.
"Let's unite to harness the power of rural innovation for a strong future for our rural communities."
More information, including the full list of speakers, event details and registration forms, can be found on the official conference website, icedconference.ca. Follow Southeast TechHub on social media for the latest updates on the event and speakers' intros.
