Canada’s Innovation Hub for Advancing AgeTech in Northern and Rural Communities

CTAAN is where meaningful innovation meets community-driven impact, making it the ideal partner for those committed to transforming aging.

As Canada’s innovation hub for AgeTech in northern and rural communities, CTAAN offers a unique opportunity for collaborators who want to make a direct and lasting impact on the lives of older adults. We provide a dynamic testing ground for technologies designed to tackle the pressing challenges of healthcare access in remote regions. Our supportive ecosystem gives researchers and innovators a safe, real-world environment to trial their solutions, gather rapid feedback, and explore pathways to commercialization.

Founding Partners

CTAAN Leadership

Richard McAloney

Director, CTAAN
Adjunct Professor, School of Business, UNBC

Dr. Richard McAloney’s passion lies in AgeTech and combined with a strong belief in partnerships, he aims to ensure technologies impact the lives of older adults and caregivers in northern and rural communities. Richard’s expertise lies in the translation and commercialization of research to create real-world impact. 

Dr. McAloney holds a PhD in Chemistry, co-founded several technology companies, developed entrepreneurship training programs, and managed a startup incubator. He is proud to be part of the AGE-WELL community including as a member of the Research Management Committee.

Academic Director, CTAAN
Associate Professor, School of Nursing, UNBC

Shannon Freeman

Dr. Shannon Freeman is an Associate Professor, School of Nursing at the University of Northern British Columbia. As a social gerontologist, Dr. Freeman incorporates a collaborative approach to engage in a broad range of research activities focusing on the health and well-being of vulnerable populations.

Specialization lies in the areas of aging, hospice palliative care, informal caregiving, and on the role of technology to support the health and well-being of vulnerable populations.

The Northern AgeTech Hub of the present - and the future.

We invited Environmental Planning students to design a vision of a CTAAN facility in the heart of Prince George.

Final design by students of ENPL 415: Ecological Design at UNBC.