On September 16th, 2020, Alacrity Canada was pleased to host a virtual event with The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada, and representatives from the office of The Honourable Michelle Mungall, B.C. Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness, for an official announcement about a significant investment in British Columbia’s cleantech sector.
“Small businesses across BC have been hit hard by COVID-19, and we’re here for them. This investment from Western Economic Diversification Canada will support good jobs across the province, while helping seven innovative companies thrive. Our message to British Columbians is clear: we’ve been here for you with significant measures, we’re here for you now as our economy reopens and we’ll get through this, together. We’re working with you to support good jobs across the province and help BC’s economy come back strong.”
– The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada
COVID-19 Recovery for cleantech sector
As the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on businesses and people across the province, the federal government is keen to provide support for innovative businesses that will play a critical role in BC’s recovery. The clean technology sector provides over 16,000 jobs, supporting nearly 300 companies in various communities across the province. These companies tackle tough problems in water and wastewater treatment, recycling, emissions reduction, agriculture, marine and ocean data, energy efficiency, air quality, carbon capture and storage, and other opportunities for innovation.
The official funding announcement was made in a Zoom conference call on September 16th, 2020, hosted by the Alacrity Foundation of B.C.
Both the federal and provincial governments are investing in the clean technology sector in order to help it recover and reenter national and international markets stronger than before. $2.2M in federal funding is being dispersed among seven leading not-for-profit organizations with mandates that strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship in BC.
“Business associations and economic development agencies will play a key role as B.C. works through economic recovery. Part of this work means focusing on key economic drivers like clean tech and trade and investment. Initiatives like the Alacrity BC CleanTech program help B.C. businesses find new opportunities and new markets around the world.”
– The Honourable Michelle Mungall, B.C. Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness
An investment in Clean technology
The Alacrity Foundation of BC is receiving $1.3M to assist western Canadian cleantech companies to scale up their international sales and investments during the pandemic recovery phase. The six other organizations that will receive the remainder of the funding are the Discovery Foundation, the BC Chamber of Commerce, the Surrey Board of Trade, the Burnaby Board of Trade, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, and the South Island Prosperity Partnership. The Government of British Columbia is also committed to investing in the sector, matching the Canadian Government’s funding to Alacrity to bring the total investment amount to almost $3M.
“Canada plays a significant role in the development of clean technologies. Canadian researchers and entrepreneurs are addressing the world’s most significant environmental problems with innovative solutions. They are on a quest to help this planet survive for many generations to come; Alacrity Canada is proud to be at the forefront of this effort to support the cleantech companies in reaching international markets and developing solutions for environmental issues. This new funding will give Alacrity an excellent opportunity to connect Canadian innovation with significant challenges waiting to be solved. Alacrity would like to thank Western Economic Diversification and the Provincial Government of BC for their on-going support for this initiative.”
– Richard Egli, Managing Director, Alacrity Canada
Read the government’s official news release for more information about this investment into western Canada’s cleantech sector.
