Calgary's Wave Tech Centre is Shaping a Smarter, More Inclusive City

Technology is evolving faster than ever, and in the heart of downtown Calgary, a new hub is quietly turning bold ideas into everyday improvements for the people who call this city home.

Since opening its doors last fall, The City’s Wave Tech Centre has become a launchpad for innovation. But while it houses cutting-edge tools like robotic arms and quantum computing infrastructure, its most important role is much simpler: helping Calgarians live better lives through smarter city services.

“We’re not chasing the latest gadget,” says Jason Cameron, IT Program Manager with The City’s Smart Cities team. “We’re using strategic foresight to test, learn, and make smart decisions—so that when we invest in new technology, it’s because we know it will truly make a difference.”

Wave offers 7,000 square feet of secure space for testing technologies in a real-world context. It’s where city departments can experiment with pilot projects—like using augmented reality to help city planners visualize infrastructure or deploying robots to assist with accessibility solutions—before those innovations are rolled out to the public.

“We’re giving teams the space and support to ask ‘what if?’ and then answer that with real data,” Cameron explains. “That means less guesswork and more impact—whether it’s shorter commute times, better waste management, or more inclusive public spaces.”

Take for example the Robocraft pilot project, in partnership with the University of Calgary. This three-year initiative uses robotic fabrication to explore new ways of designing urban infrastructure—things like wheelchair ramps and community seating. But the goal isn’t just better engineering. It’s empowerment.

Wave is a key piece of the City’s broader Smart Calgary Strategy, which aims to make Calgary more connected, inclusive, and future-ready. The strategy focuses on four pillars:

1. Digital equity – to ensure all Calgarians have the skills and tools to thrive in a digital world.
2. Experimentation – to give the City the freedom to try, fail, and ultimately succeed faster.
3. Partnerships with organizations like U of C – to bring academic insight to practical challenges.
4. Engagement – to ensure these innovations aren’t happening in a vacuum, but in dialogue with the community.

Less than a year into its journey, Wave is already proving that technology isn't just about speed or scale—it’s about strategy, collaboration, and community impact. Whether it’s improving accessibility, enabling real-time data analysis to improve traffic flow, or helping families engage with city planning through virtual reality, the focus remains on people first.

As Cameron puts it, “Innovation for its own sake doesn’t move the needle. But when we listen to the needs of Calgarians and plan with foresight, we can bring in the right technologies at the right time—making life better, one small improvement at a time.”

And that’s what Wave is really about—not just imagining the future, but building it, together.