The 2024-2025 GovLab Impact Report is Here

September 18, 2025 • 4 min read

AltaML Team

We are excited to announce the launch of the 2024-2025 GovLab Impact Report, a document that highlights a year of incredible innovation and collaboration between the public and private sectors. The report showcases how GovLab, powered by AltaML, is helping public sector teams unlock the power of AI to improve services and deliver real results for Canadians.

“Over the past year, we have strengthened our focus on business-driven solutions, expanded our partnerships, and uncovered new opportunities to scale our impact,” explained Chantal Ritcey, Public Sector Industry Lead and Responsible AI Lead, AltaML.

Empowering Smart Public Services for All Canadians

GovLab is an innovation hub co-founded by AltaML, the Government of Alb erta (GoA), and Mitacs to support public sector transformation. By combining the public sector’s deep understanding of citizen needs with the private sector’s speed and innovation, GovLab builds practical AI solutions that improve public services, unlock new insights, and drive real-world impact. It brings together experts from AltaML, government personnel, post-secondary students, and recent graduates to address real-world challenges with the mission of unlocking the potential of data to improve public services and positively impact the lives of citizens.

Highlights from the Report

This year’s report showcases several key projects, demonstrating how AI and data science are being applied to create real-world impact.

GovLab partnered with the GoA on two noteworthy innovative solutions this year. The first is the Safety Code Research Assistant, a generative AI tool that helps Municipal Affairs Duty Officers find information in large code books in minutes instead of hours. This improves efficiency and public safety. The second project, the Forestry Fuel Grid, utilized hyperspectral satellite imagery to train a machine learning model. This model can classify tree species and non-forested areas, enabling a more accurate and efficient approach to wildfire risk assessment.

In a collaboration with Cancer Care Alberta, GovLab used machine learning tools to process 14 years of de-identified patient data from 18 different sources. This work aims to understand patient complexity and workload better, directly addressing rising cancer wait times and improving patient care. According to Dr. Paula Robson, Scientific Director of Cancer Research and Analytics, this partnership has “rapidly upskilled our team and accelerated progress beyond what we could have achieved alone”.

GovLab’s partnership with the City of Calgary focused on an AI-powered solution for pavement conditions. By using computer vision on street-level video, the system automatically detects and classifies road distress like potholes and cracks. This technology has the potential to replace manual inspections, leading to increased efficiency and reduced costs for the city.

Associates in Action

Since 2022, GovLab has seen tremendous interest, receiving 6,177 applications for the Associate role and 1,338 for the Business Solutions Consultant role. Beyond building AI solutions, the program is a launchpad for the next generation of data scientists and AI professionals. For Associates, GovLab offers a unique chance to get hands-on experience, turn a passion for data into a career, and contribute to projects that directly benefit Canadians.

A total of 81 interns have participated in the program and 12 have continued on in full-time roles at AltaML. Grace Heemeryck, a former Associate, found her experience particularly rewarding because of the potential impact of her work on the Alberta Health Services Cancer Care workload prediction project. The program helped reaffirm her passion for health and data science. Today, Grace is a full-time Machine Learning Developer at Alberta Health Services and credits GovLab with introducing her to the connections needed to secure the role.

A Message from GovLab Leadership

“As AI continues to play a critical role in addressing lagging productivity, our efforts remain focused on helping governments do more with less—enhancing service delivery for citizens without increasing costs,” says Chantal Ritcey, Public Sector Industry Lead and Responsible AI Lead, AltaML. “Through public-private partnerships, we see a significant opportunity to diversify our economy, support local business and create high-value jobs, all while ensuring that the intellectual property developed through GovLab remains within our borders”.

Jodi Goebel, Health Industry Lead at AltaML, adds, “AI presents an enormous opportunity to enhance health system value and improve patient outcomes across the country. With health systems facing urgent challenges—ranging from administrative burdens to workforce shortages—there is a pressing need for innovative solutions. This work demonstrates that, with the right partnership model, Alberta can tackle healthcare challenges at the pace of industry, creating a smarter, more resilient system for the future”.

The Future of Government is Powered by AI

This report showcases the incredible power of public-private partnerships in driving innovation. We are proud to celebrate the achievements of our clients and the tangible impact they are making on public services across Canada. The successes highlighted in this report are a testament to their vision and leadership. We are also proud to have provided a unique launchpad for the next generation of AI talent. The personal and professional growth of our associates demonstrates that GovLab is not just building solutions, but also building the future workforce that will continue to innovate for the public good. To stay up-to-date with GovLab and learn more about how you can join us in shaping the future of public services, visit the GovLab website.

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