econext‘s Annual Conference is Newfoundland and Labrador’s premier green economy event, attracting leaders in business, government, academia, and the community.
Join us on October 26, 2023 in St. John’s, NL to hear about the latest developments in the province from decision makers and thought leaders relating to clean energy, green innovation, ongoing environmental challenges, and the pursuit of net zero.
Did you know that there is a new Technology Access Centre in Reality Capture and Digitization located right here in Newfoundland and Labrador?
TACs address innovation challenges by enabling local organizations (in both the private and public sector) to take advantage of the college’s expertise, technology, and equipment with the intent to enable positive business, social and/or health outcomes.
The webinar will also provide insight on funding programs and collaboration opportunities for local organizations.
Date: Thursday, August 31
Time: 11:00 – 12:00
Location: Online
econext‘s Annual Conference is Newfoundland and Labrador’s premier green economy event, attracting leaders in business, government, academia, and the community.
Join us on October 26, 2023 in St. John’s, NL to hear about the latest developments in the province from decision makers and thought leaders relating to clean energy, green innovation, ongoing environmental challenges, and the pursuit of net zero.
Stay tuned to this website for more information on the conference as it becomes available.
Click here to download the conference agenda as a PDF.
2023 has been a banner year for the growth of Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean energy industry, and the momentum is continuing to build. With decisions made on which proposed wind-to-hydrogen projects will have the opportunity to advance in the province, this session focuses on highlighting the next steps for industry, academia, and governments as they continue to advance and support clean energy growth.
Newfoundland and Labrador has made a commitment to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. As efforts are ramping up to decarbonize the economy and better understand our environmental impacts, we are starting to get a clearer idea about what the pursuit of net zero will mean for our province. This session will focus on some of the biggest challenges we must face and opportunities we should embrace.
While major ‘green’ industrial opportunities are crystallizing, Newfoundland and Labrador continues to face a number of challenges domestically that need to be addressed. From wastewater, to waste management, to climate change adaptation – we have much work to do. This session will explore and define these challenges – while highlighting interesting and innovative approaches to addressing them.
Newfoundland and Labrador has the opportunity before it to position itself as a leader in clean growth research, development, and innovation. This session will identify a series of green economy topics of particular relevance and importance to the province, explore why their pursuit from an R&D perspective is important, and discuss how they can best be approached.
Throughout the conference, attendees will hear from innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups on their ideas that can help solve environmental challenges and grow Newfoundland and Labrador’s green economy. Interested in presenting? Respond to our Request for Expressions of Interest.
Date:
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Time:
8:15 AM – 5:00 PM
Location:
Delta St. John’s, 120 New Gower Street
econext Members: $199 + HST
non-Members: $249 +HST
online-only: $90 +HST
Online processing fees from Eventbrite will be added to your total.
Your ticket will include a continental breakfast and lunch.
Online-only registrants will receive a Zoom link to participate in the conference live.
Information on tickets being made available to students will be released closer to the conference date.
Are you interested in partnering with us on our conference? Click here for details and contact Colin Heffernan at heffernan@econext.ca with your interest.
As we enter into the thick of Summer, it is worthwhile reflecting on the enormous activity that we have seen in Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean energy industry over the past month and a half.
There is a competitive process underway to access crown land for the purpose of wind energy development, and some of the interested players have recently made some big moves.
On June 1st, World Energy GH2 announced that it had successfully closed the acquisition of the Port of Stephenville. Managing Director and CEO Sean Leet said that “the Port of Stephenville is the cornerstone of our project and will position the Bay St. George area as a green energy hub.” This announcement was just days after the company announced a large investment from SK ecoplant into their Project Nujio’qonik which aims to produce green hydrogen in 2025.
On June 5th, the Port of Argentia, Pattern Energy, & Argentia Capital announced that they have reached an agreement on a planned renewable energy to green fuels project at the port. The port’s CEO Scott Penney said that “Pattern Energy is taking a Lease Option on some 6,000 acres of industrial and forest lands owned by the Port. Should it exercise its Option and proceed with the Project, it will construct a 300-megawatt wind energy facility designed to power the production of Green Ammonia for export to global markets.”
These are just two of the bids received by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador from 19 companies on March 23. Exciting weeks and months are ahead for the clean energy industry as we learn which projects will have the opportunity to advance. And the world is watching. Proof of global interest on what is happening here in this province was evident again with a recent agreement signed between the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands to cooperate on green hydrogen opportunities.
Update: The first phase of the competition was announced as complete shortly after this piece was published, with the process now expected to be finished by August.
While much of the focus has been on land, not to be forgotten is the wealth of wind resources available for development in Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore. Amendments were moved forward in Canada’s House of Commons to put important enabling conditions in place to allow for investment into offshore wind in the province.
And flying under the radar were important changes introduced to the province’s Electricity Power Control Act (EPCA) which will allow for utilities and the regulator to consider the environment as a factor in their decision-making. This will mean that decisions are not made solely based on cost and reliability – important because the most environmentally sound solutions are not always the cheapest ones. Our grid is inching close to being 100% clean, and we need to protect and capitalize on this great advantage.
Oh yes, and the Department of Industry, Energy, and Technology announced the launch of its $100 million Green Transition Fund. Learn about it in our webinar next week.
This list barely scratches the surface of the activity underway, and this is only within the past couple of months! econext has been busy working on workforce development, R&D and innovation, and economic development initiatives related to clean energy in the province, and we’ll have a lot more to say about that in the coming months.
… and clean energy is just one of our key priority areas. Luckily our team is growing to meet the demands and help NL seize its green economy opportunities, and if you follow us on LinkedIn you’ll get to know them all in the days ahead.
Suffice it to say that there’s lots to chat about, and we hope you’ll join us at our Summer Social next week to do just that!
Sincerely,
// Kieran Hanley
CEO
econext, in partnership with ACOA and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, has been coordinating a Caribbean Market Development Program since 2014. As we approach the tenth year of supporting firms and organizations in their pursuit of business in the Caribbean region, econext is seeking consulting services to conduct a thorough program review.
The deadline for proposals is 4:00pm on July 20, 2023. Download the request for proposals (RFP) via the button below.
econext is pleased to announce an informative webinar session introducing the fundamental concepts and strategies of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) for Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Newfoundland and Labrador.
This session, instructed by Dr. Tom Cooper, serves as a gateway to understanding the importance of ESG, exploring key tactics, and highlighting the potential benefits – and pitfalls – associated with them for your business. Through practical examples you will gain valuable insights and inspiration to help you embark on your ESG journey.
Date: July 19, 2023
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 NDT
Location: Online
Cost: FREE!
For more information on this event, please contact our Director of Workforce Development, Ogaga Johnson, via e-mail at ogaga@econext.ca.
On June 21, 2023 the Green Transition Fund was announced.
Join us for a webinar on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 from 11am-12pm as we welcome representatives from the Department of Industry, Energy, and Technology who will present on the particulars of the fund and answer questions from econext members.
Date: July 12, 2023
Time: 11h00 – 12h00 NST
Location: Online
Green Transition Fund program information and guidelines can be found here.
For Immediate Release
July 4, 2023
This June econext, in partnership with Memorial University’s Research Innovation Office (RIO), held an event that explored opportunities to connect industry needs with research expertise.
“One of econext‘s primary objectives is to stimulate clean growth innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Kieran Hanley, econext‘s CEO. “One of the ways that we do this is by working with our members to understand their challenges and opportunities, and then engaging with local research institutions to see if we can find a match.”
The event featured a number of econext members presenting on their challenge or opportunity to an audience of pre-identified researchers at Memorial University. Researchers then presented on their areas of expertise and interest. “The next step is for us to do what we can to match-make and encourage collaborative research projects between industry and academia.”
Last week’s event had a thematic focus on ‘batteries’ – for storage, EV charging and even recycling. “Electrification and energy storage are concepts that are both key to our province’s net zero objectives and clean energy growth,” said Hanley. “This is an area where econext will be very active in acting as a catalyst for innovation in the province.”
“The team at RIO works to bring industry partners and Memorial researchers together to help solve real challenges in today’s world,” said Dr. Paula Mendonça, Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Memorial University. “Through our ongoing partnership with econext, we are able to enhance awareness about the world-class expertise and facilities available at Memorial. We look forward to future conversations and support clean energy solutions in the region.”
econext is an association of businesses that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador and works on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.
RIO helps identify resources and facilitate connections to move ideas towards opportunities via industry connection, funding, IP support and programming. More information can be found at mun.ca/RIO.
For Immediate Release
June 28, 2023
Atlantic Canada and the Caribbean have a significant history of interregional trade and partnership in sectors spanning cable and telecommunications, banking and finance, energy, and education.
In May, as part of its twelfth trade mission to the Caribbean region since 2015, econext formalized a partnership for the mutual benefit of the two regions.
“We are excited to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) as part of our trade mission,” said Abbie Hodder, econext’s COO and Director of International Business. “There is ample potential for collaboration between the four provinces of Atlantic Canada and the 11 OECS countries, and we look forward to putting this MOU into action.”
Atlantic Canada and the OECS have common regional strategic objectives. Beyond the promotion of trade and partnerships, the regions can exchange valuable information and experiences in areas of common interest including the support of local economies to becomes globally competitive, resilient, inclusive, and increasingly green.
The May 2023 trade mission consisted of eleven delegate organizations from Atlantic Canada engaging in over 150 meetings across four countries in the Caribbean region – Barbados, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. econext’s missions are multi-sector, but there is a strategic focus on green economy, blue economy, infrastructure, and education and training.
Firms in Atlantic Canada have many synergies with their counterparts in Caribbean markets. Hodder stated, “The products and services developed in Atlantic Canada can work well in other island and rural coastal environments, such as those found in the Caribbean.”
Hodder notes the region faces similar challenges such as the impacts of climate change, coastal zone erosion, distance from markets, and economies that are resource dependent. “We have a long history of trade with the Caribbean, and our commitment is to sustain and enhance this bond through meaningful reciprocal engagement.”
econext’s next Caribbean Trade Mission is set for November 2023. For information on how you can participate, please contact Abbie Hodder at abbie@econext.ca.
About OECS
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is an international organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance among independent and non-independent countries in the Eastern Caribbean comprising Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Martinique and Guadeloupe.
About econext
econext is a not-for-profit association that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador, working on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development. A priority for econext is helping its members engage internationally; the association has helped develop relationships between Atlantic Canada and Caribbean markets since 2014 .
On June 21, 2023 the Department of Industry, Energy, and Technology announced the launch of the Green Transition Fund. Program information and guidelines can be found here.
Text from econext CEO Kieran Hanley’s remarks at the launch event:
Thank you for the opportunity to be here today to speak to this wonderful announcement.
econext is an organization that works day in and day out to drive and support clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador.
That means helping our key industries become more competitive in a world that is increasingly concerned about greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts.
That means doing what we can to support new industries that help not just Newfoundland and Labrador, but the world fight climate change.
And that means working with communities to understand their role in all of this, and to maximize adjacent economic development opportunities.
In this work, econext finds itself in the middle between industry, governments, communities, and research institutions sharing ideas, experiences, challenges, and opportunities.
And through this work, we can see now that this province is on the verge of big things. Why? Simply put, we have what the world needs.
From our green electricity grid, to our world class undeveloped renewable energy resources, to our emerging clean fuels and energy storage hubs, to our rich cache of critical minerals… Newfoundland and Labrador has a clean energy advantage that positions us extraordinarily well internationally.
Let’s be clear. We have the resources here to fuel the world’s energy transition.
Newfoundland and Labrador has the ability to make a globally significant contribution in the fight against climate change. It is time to be bold and to seize these opportunities.
To succeed, we need more investment into research, development, and innovative green economic activity.
The Green Transition Fund announced today is a big step forward in that regard and will help ensure that Newfoundland and Labrador reaches its economic growth potential while advancing its pursuit of net zero.
Congratulations to Minister Parsons and to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on this announcement.
To econext members: this is a funding program that you have been asking for for a long long time. It’s going to be competitive. Get busy developing your project ideas. Make them innovative, and make them collaborative.
Let’s get to work.
