econext is seeking feedback from its members and our wider network to guide its delivery of training and professional development programming. Your participation in this survey will be a great help – it should only take you a couple of minutes to complete.
The deadline for participating is Friday June 2nd, 2023 @ 4:30 PM. For more information on this survey, please contact Colin Heffernan, Manager of Industry and Community Engagement, by e-mail at heffernan@econext.ca.
econext has released a discussion paper which explores the economic development opportunities for Newfoundland and Labrador that are associated with the emerging clean fuels industry.
“We believe that clean fuels production presents an enormous opportunity for Newfoundland and Labrador, its economy, and its communities,” said Kieran Hanley, econext‘s CEO – referring to the wind energy to hydrogen projects being proposed within the province.
Hanley said it is important to view the potential benefits of the emerging industry beyond just those that come with construction and operations and the export of a commodity. “Newfoundland and Labrador has the potential to be among the first in the world to produce clean fuels at this scale, and with that comes a series of time-sensitive opportunities to position ourselves as leaders in innovation and training and attract more green industry.”
“The purpose of this discussion paper is twofold,” said Hanley. “First, we want to create a greater awareness of the opportunities that are before the province, and second we want to get decison-makers and stakeholders thinking about how we go about pursuing those opportunities.” Hanley said that the discussion paper is intended to be the start of the conversation, and is not a definitive or conclusive report. “We welcome any and all feedback that can help us better understand these opportunities.”
“I would like to thank all of the econext members who provided their time and many of the ideas that are represented in the paper,” said Hanley. “econext looks forward to doing its best to advance many of the opportunities identified on your behalf.”
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.
Media Contact:
Kieran Hanley
kieran@econext.ca
For Immediate Release
May 9, 2023
econext has released a discussion paper which explores the economic development opportunities for Newfoundland and Labrador that are associated with the emerging clean fuels industry.
“We believe that clean fuels production presents an enormous opportunity for Newfoundland and Labrador, its economy, and its communities,” said Kieran Hanley, econext‘s CEO – referring to the wind energy to hydrogen projects being proposed within the province.
Hanley said it is important to view the potential benefits of the emerging industry beyond just those that come with construction and operations and the export of a commodity. “Newfoundland and Labrador has the potential to be among the first in the world to produce clean fuels at this scale, and with that comes a series of time-sensitive opportunities to position ourselves as leaders in innovation and training and attract more green industry.”
“The purpose of this discussion paper is twofold,” said Hanley. “First, we want to create a greater awareness of the opportunities that are before the province, and second we want to get decison-makers and stakeholders thinking about how we go about pursuing those opportunities.” Hanley said that the discussion paper is intended to be the start of the conversation, and is not a definitive or conclusive report. “We welcome any and all feedback that can help us better understand these opportunities.”
“I would like to thank all of the econext members who provided their time and many of the ideas that are represented in the paper,” said Hanley. “econext looks forward to doing its best to advance many of the opportunities identified on your behalf.”
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.
Media Contact:
Kieran Hanley
kieran@econext.ca
The prospect of significant renewable energy development and clean fuels production in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) is creating a need for stakeholders to understand what is needed from a labour market and workforce development perspective.
In some cases, such as large-scale wind farms and hydrogen production, these are ‘new’ industries to NL and, as such, its workforce is not necessarily fully prepared to participate. In other cases, stakeholders in the clean energy industry as it exists today (e.g., operations and maintenance of electricity generation and transmission assets, electrification activities) are already expressing challenges with workforce attraction and retention.
These factors combined demonstrate a clear need for strategic workforce development initiatives for the clean energy industry in NL. It is important to understand where skills gaps exist before advancing next steps.
Important Dates:
It is well established that electric vehicles will reduce GHG emissions, however there have been recent concerns about the downstream environmental impacts – particularly with the disposal of batteries. Taking a circular economy approach to the waste management of batteries makes sense but, in general, economics for established methods of waste management are difficult to adopt in Newfoundland and Labrador due to economies of scale and geography. This discussion paper explores the challenges and the possibilities.
This webinar will provide information on the Eureka/Eurostars international call which funds collaborative research, development, and innovation projects between Canada and Spain.
Date: May 11, 2023
Time: 11h30 Newfoundland Standard Time
Learn about Atlantic Canada’s strengths in ocean cleantech from econext and Spain’s strengths from PROTECMA … and also the capabilities of their members in order to help identify new collaborative opportunities.
Eureka is the world’s biggest public network for international cooperation in R&D and innovation which aims to boost the productivity and competitiveness of industries by financing and supporting international collaborative and market-focused projects.
Matchmaking opportunity for virtual B2B introduction after event:
Do you have a project idea and you are looking for a partner in Canada or in Spain? Fill the form during the registration and the associations will try to facilitate the introduction.
About CETMAR/PROTECMA
CETMAR is a public foundation in Spain that works to improve the marine environment, its resources and all the sectors that make a living from it, promoting innovation and environmental, social and economic sustainability. The general objective of PROTECMA is to develop and implement a research, technological development and innovation strategy aimed at i) the protection of the coast and the marine environment, ii) the prevention, response and mitigation of marine pollution caused by anthropogenic activity and iii) to control and improve the quality of marine, coastal and transition waters.
Presentation of the seminar and opportunities for collaboration and investment in Canada.
Alexandra O’Sullivan, Embassy of Canada in Spain
Introduction of econext and its objective to accelerate clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador
Kieran Hanley, econext
Introduction of PROTECMA and its lines of collaboration in marine technologies.
Marisa Fernandez and Anxo Mena, CETMAR/PROTECMA
Eureka/Eurostars opportunities between Canadian and Spanish entities.
Eric Holdrinet, NRC-IRAP and Antonio Gómez, CDTI
Questions and closing remarks
Since 2014 econext (formerly NEIA) – with support from the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology (IET) and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) – has been helping Atlantic Canadian firms pursue international business opportunities in the Caribbean region.
Our Caribbean program is comprehensive, comprising in-depth market research, information sessions, customized firm-level supports, and the coordination of incoming and outgoing trade missions to markets. Our 2023 trade mission will see 11 organizations visit the Caribbean region.
For more information, visit https://econext.ca/caribbean-program/.
If you have any questions about the econext Trade Mission to the Caribbean region please contact Abbie Hodder, econext‘s COO & Director of International Business, at abbie@econext.ca.
Are you concerned about the impact climate change will have on your community and region? Do you have some ideas for adaptation strategies?
The Harris Centre, in partnership with econext and CLIMAtlantic, are hosting a series of regional workshops in Spring 2023 to discuss the impacts and opportunities associated with climate change in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The focus of these sessions will be to discuss the effects of climate change at a regional level, to explore regional options for climate adaptation, and identify potential regional development opportunities related to climate action. These sessions will build on and utilize information gathered during the Harris Centre’s Forecast NL initiative along with resources available through CLIMAtlantic.
The intent of these workshops is to:
Date: April 27, 2023
Time: 12:00pm – 5:00pm
Location: Grand Falls – Windsor, NL
Venue: Corduroy Brook Nature Centre, 2 Conservation Place
econext is seeking expressions of interest from experienced project managers and/or consultants to assist in the implementation of special projects.
Ocean Technology Sector Pan Atlantic Partners
Request for Expressions of Interest
June 5-8, 2023 | Limerick, Ireland
OceansAdvance and its partners are inviting Expressions of Interest from Atlantic Canadian companies interested in exhibiting at the IEEE MTS Global OCEANS23 Limerick as well as visiting the Shannon Foynes Port. More information on the conference can be found at https://limerick23.oceansconference.org/.
Shannon Foynes Port company has future plans for growth. In particular, a recent strategic review has set out three main themes or drivers for future growth and expansion at the port.
The port is extremely well positioned to capture market opportunities in each of these areas and we feel this would be of interest to some econext Members.
Given the geographical location of the port, we are sure there are plenty of future opportunities to collaborate with Canada.
We currently have exhibit space at the OCEANS Conference in the Canadian Pavillion and can offer you support if you wish to exhibit.
If you would like more information, please feel free to reach out to Cathy Hogan – cathy.hogan@oceansadvance.net by Friday, April 21.
