Author: kieran

econext partners with the Ocean Startup Project to stimulate clean growth innovation in Newfoundland and Labrador

Posted on by kieran

For Immediate Release
August 16, 2022

St. John’s (NL) – econext is working with the Ocean Startup Project to highlight industry challenges related to Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean growth economy.

The partnership is part of the Ocean Startup Challenge which aims to uncover and support early stage entrepreneurial ideas or technologies in the oceans sector. The Ocean Startup Challenge will award approximately $750,000 to founders and teams across the country. In addition to the funding, winners will receive ocean-specific programming, mentorship, one-on-one sessions with Executives-in-Residence and industry experts, networking opportunities and more.

“Our province is home to a world class cleantech cluster, with much of our technology being oceans focused,” said Kieran Hanley, CEO at econext. “It is important to recognize and build on these strengths to help solve the problems that will help fight climate change and grow our green and blue economies.” Hanley said that partnering with the Ocean Startup Project to present Innovation Spotlights will help draw attention to opportunities particularly relevant in the Newfoundland and Labrador context.

Innovation Spotlights aim to inspire and encourage prospective entrepreneurs to develop cutting-edge technologies and solve real-world problems the ocean sector is facing. These Innovation Spotlights are areas where Canadian-based innovators can achieve significant wins based on capability, natural assets and skillset, while driving change within the industry that is more sustainable and efficient.

“We are seeing really strong momentum in Canada’s ocean startup ecosystem with net-new entrepreneurs, more research being commercialized and new ocean hubs being created to foster ocean technology,” said Donald Grant, Executive Director at the Ocean Startup Project. “What we know in Canada is that there is a deep, inherent knowledge of the ocean, world-class research occurring and an awakening appetite for sustainable, innovative solutions – and that is what we are intending to leverage through the Ocean Startup Challenge and Innovation Spotlights.”

The partnership is highlighting three industry challenges, including:

  • The development of a more reliable and lower-cost technology and/or process to monitor and manage the subsea assets of clean energy infrastructure that will withstand the challenges presented by the North Atlantic (e.g., icebergs, geology, weather conditions). More Info
  • The development of a technology and/or process that allows ports to maximize the role that they can play in electricity supply and demand management to the benefit of electricity grids. More Info
  • The development of a technology and/or process that allows for finding value in or alternative disposal methods for plastic wastes associated with aquaculture operations. More Info

Hanley said that the Innovation Spotlights were designed to align with emerging clean growth opportunities in the province, as well as with environmental challenges it is already facing. “The solutions that we develop right here in Newfoundland and Labrador can be exported and applied worldwide; we hope to spark the interest of creative and innovative minds here in this province by putting these forward,” Hanley said.

More information on the Ocean Startup Challenge and Innovation Spotlights can be found at https://oceanstartupproject.ca/challenge/. Applications for the 2022 Ocean Startup Challenge are open until September 1, 2022 at 11:59pm ADT.

econext is an association of businesses that accelerates clean growth in Newfoundland and Labrador, working on behalf of over 200 members to foster environmentally sustainable economic development. More information can be found at https://econext.ca.

The Ocean Startup Project inspires, initiates and invests, making Canada the best place in the world to start and grow an ocean venture. The project team creates and delivers activities to support ideation through commercialization, for innovators and entrepreneurs from industry to academia. The Ocean Startup Project offerings complement existing industry accelerators, incubators and other support organizations across Canada’s world-class innovation ecosystem. Together with our partners – Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), Genesis Centre, Innovacorp, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, PEI BioAlliance, Springboard Atlantic, Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST), and Technopole Maritime du Québec (TMQ) – the Ocean Startup Project is accelerating how homegrown startups get their technologies to market and attract international companies to Canada’s shores.

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Media Contacts:

Kieran Hanley
CEO
kieran@econext.ca

Laurie Snell
Director of Marketing and Communications, Ocean Startup Project
lsnell@oceanstartupproject.ca

CANCarib Climate Smart Opportunities Summit – Doing Business Bootcamp

Posted on by kieran

The High Commission of Canada in Jamaica is hosting the inaugural CANCarib Climate Smart Opportunities Summit (CCSOS), a high-level (hybrid) business initiative for Canadian companies, targeting the portfolio of cleantech and associated infrastructure projects in Jamaica. The CCSOS has three (3) components, zeroing in on facilitation of eligible/interested TCS clients with sectoral and market capacity. The components are as follows:

Part I: Opportunities Roundtable – July 6, 2022 – 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Part II: Doing Business Boot-Camp – September 20, 2022

  • This virtual session is intended to provide a full orientation on doing business in Jamaica, to equip Canadian companies with information, processes, tools and tips, the legal process, business development, potential local partners, local project financing/banking, licenses/permits, work permits, etc. when doing business in Jamaica. Presenters will include local officials and experts, facilitated by the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS) at the High Commission of Canada in Kingston, Jamaica.

Part III: Business-2-Business Forum – October 20, 2022

Learn more and register

North Atlantic

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From its early beginnings as a petroleum company to today, a province-wide leader in retail gas and convenience, residential, commercial, and wholesale fuels, North Atlantic has called Newfoundland and Labrador home for over 30 years. We’re proud to be the leading fuel provider in the province and part of the transition to a low carbon future. We are committed to lowering vehicle emissions and our collective environmental impact through low carbon fuel and alternative energy solutions.

Become a Registered Energy Advisor Today!

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Innovation Challenge: Reducing Plastic Waste in Aquaculture

Posted on by kieran

econext and the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) have partnered with the Ocean Startup Project to design and promote three challenges for its 2022 Ocean Startup Challenge.

The Ocean Startup Challenge helps turn entrepreneurial ideas or technology into a wave of opportunity! For 2022, the Ocean Startup Challenge is focusing on idea/early stage ocean startups with a TRL of 4 and below, and supporting innovators who are leveraging Canadian ocean assets and capabilities to develop technologies that can be applied to global ocean problems.

Winning teams will receive up to $40,000 in awards, with invaluable business development supports with programming, mentorship, one-on-one sessions with our Executives-in-Residence and industry experts, networking opportunities and more, as part of the program, which runs until March 2023.

Challenge:

Develop a technology and/or process that allows for finding value in or alternative disposal methods for plastic wastes associated with aquaculture operations.

Aquaculture is among the fastest-growing food sectors in the world, accounting for more than 50 per cent of the world’s total seafood production. Increased production also impacts the volume of plastics to be recycled or responsibly disposed of, from harvesting and production processes. Plastic waste is the biggest waste challenge in the aquaculture sector, particularly feedbags. Lack of recycling capacity in rural areas, as well as Tipping fees and transportation costs are considerations, with landfill operators also keen to find alternative solutions. Beyond feedbags, other plastic wastes have to be managed by the sector. Industry reports significant volumes of mixed plastics stockpiled comprising of floats, rope, old cage netting etc.

Application deadline: Thursday, September 1, 2022

More Information

Innovation Challenge: Smart Ports

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The Net Zero Project has partnered with the Ocean Startup Project to design and promote three challenges for its 2022 Ocean Startup Challenge.

The Ocean Startup Challenge helps turn entrepreneurial ideas or technology into a wave of opportunity! For 2022, the Ocean Startup Challenge is focusing on idea/early stage ocean startups with a TRL of 4 and below, and supporting innovators who are leveraging Canadian ocean assets and capabilities to develop technologies that can be applied to global ocean problems.

Winning teams will receive up to $40,000 in awards, with invaluable business development supports with programming, mentorship, one-on-one sessions with our Executives-in-Residence and industry experts, networking opportunities and more, as part of the program, which runs until March 2023.

Challenge:

Develop a technology and/or process that allows ports to maximize the role that they can play in electricity supply and demand management to the benefit of electricity grids.

Ports in Canada will play an important role in the pursuit of net zero. Through the use and provision of electrification and/or clean fuels, their infrastructure will be key in decarbonizing marine transportation and industry and economic activity that relies on marine transportation. Some ports will become hubs for the export of hydrogen or other clean fuels. With ports prospectively featuring substantive energy storage infrastructure, it is possible for them to play an important role in helping to levelize and manage grid electricity demand.

Application deadline: Thursday, September 1, 2022

More Information

Innovation Challenge: Digital Asset Integrity for Subsea Cables

Posted on by kieran

The Net Zero Project has partnered with the Ocean Startup Project to design and promote three challenges for its 2022 Ocean Startup Challenge.

The Ocean Startup Challenge helps turn entrepreneurial ideas or technology into a wave of opportunity! For 2022, the Ocean Startup Challenge is focusing on idea/early stage ocean startups with a TRL of 4 and below, and supporting innovators who are leveraging Canadian ocean assets and capabilities to develop technologies that can be applied to global ocean problems.

Winning teams will receive up to $40,000 in awards, with invaluable business development supports with programming, mentorship, one-on-one sessions with our Executives-in-Residence and industry experts, networking opportunities and more, as part of the program, which runs until March 2023.

Challenge:

Develop a more reliable and lower-cost technology and/or process to monitor and manage the subsea assets of clean energy infrastructure that will withstand the challenges presented by the North Atlantic (e.g., icebergs, geology, weather conditions).

Subsea clean energy infrastructure is being installed in a wide variety of different jurisdictions and applications around the world. This includes the subsea electricity cables associated with the transmission of electricity, along with the more traditional subsea infrastructure like moorings, foundations, etc. that are required for offshore energy developments. The prospect of offshore wind development, the electrification of offshore facilities, increased electricity transmission between jurisdictions, and in situ marine vessel charging is likely to require increased subsea clean energy infrastructure on an international scale – including Canada. Ensuring maximum reliability at a low cost through digitalization and remote operations will become increasingly important and contribute to emissions reductions.

Application deadline: Thursday, September 1, 2022

More Information

Blue Economy Deep Dive – Networking Luncheon and Panel Session

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Delta Hotel and Conference Centre
Tuesday, July 26 (12:30pm – 3:00pm)

With so much coastline, it is no surprise that Canada’s ocean sector has a rich history of innovation and leadership in the blue economy. On Tuesday, July 26, OceansAdvance will bring together the local community and Innovate Canada delegates to discuss Canada’s history of ocean innovation and the ways in which it continues to lead the blue economy, globally.

This event coincides with Innovate Canada, organized by Destination Canada along with local hosts, the City of St. John’s and Destination St. John’s. Innovate Canada showcases the ground-breaking work taking place across Canada’s ocean industries to position Canada as a host for future international conferences and events, and investment.

The luncheon will feature a Keynote from Steven Adler, CEO and Founder of The Ocean Data Alliance, and will be followed by a panel moderated by The Economist Group’s, Tatiana der Avedissian, with global oceans experts.

Global Oceans Leaders Panel Discussion

A panel of international ocean experts will discuss their experiences relating to their respective organizations and their impressions on what they feel sets Canada apart in the global blue economy. The session will also feature a Q&A session and will be followed by an opportunity to network with the panelists and all of the Innovate Canada C-suite executives and members of the international media.

Panelists:

Rich Lawson, CEO of the International Ocean Science and Technology Industry Association (IOSTIA), a trade association to provide a voice for companies involved in the various ocean science and technology business sectors primarily outside of the oil and gas industry.

Paul Holthus, Founding President & CEO, World Ocean Council (WOC), a global, cross-sectoral ocean industry leadership alliance committed to “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”, developed by and for the private sector, with a unique and multi-sectoral approach to address cross-cutting issues affecting ocean sustainable development, science and stewardship of the seas.

Steven Adler, CEO, Ocean Data Alliance, had its launch at The United Nations, and is working on business solutions to critical ocean challenges.

Learn more and register

Pitch & Pick Summer ’22

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The amazing companies in our intensive Evolution program have been working hard for eight weeks. The top start-ups have been selected to compete in this edition of Pitch & Pick! A panel of expert industry judges will crown the winner, and the audience will be able to vote for a Community Choice recipient. Join us on August 2nd at Emera Innovation Exchange and reconnect with the startup community!

Non-medical mask use is recommended for attendees. Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. A networking reception will follow the competition.

A special thanks to our Evolution supporters Ray Agency, Springboard Atlantic, BDO Canada, TD Canada, Hickman Group, and Cox & Palmer for making this event possible.

Spots are limited so register ASAP!

Learn more and register

NLCA Women In Construction Forum | October 27, 2022

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The Women in Construction Forum will provide a platform for educational and professional development, along with an opportunity to network with like-minded women in the construction industry.

This event will empower women to continue to grow and achieve success in the industry with a “We’re Better Together” motto supporting women as we rise by lifting others.

Learn more and register