NEIA’s Innovation Connector event helps establish Newfoundland and Labrador’s clean technology priorities

For Immediate Release
May 23, 2018

The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) held its annual Innovation Connector last week, using the event to establish provincial clean technology priorities relating to the oil and gas, mining, aquaculture, and forestry industries.

“The information the business development community acquired through this process will help guide our activities in the clean technology space for many years,” said Kieran Hanley, NEIA’s Executive Director. “With the help of key stakeholders in these four industries, we have pulled from industry what it sees as being pain points relating to environmental and economic sustainability.”

Hanley says that this information will help NEIA provide targeted guidance to the startup, research, and innovation communities. “We are now able to work proactively with our partners to support the research, development, commercialization, application, and eventually export of clean technologies – in areas of opportunity industry itself has identified.”

NEIA sees significant opportunity for clean technology development in the province, noting that the global market for clean technologies is set to almost triple its size between 2012 and 2022 to over $2.5 trillion. “Reports recognize that Canada’s opportunity to build a competitive advantage relating to clean technology is within its natural resource sectors – and in Newfoundland and Labrador that includes our oil and gas, mining, aquaculture, and forestry industries.”

Hanley says that identifying priorities within these industries from the clean technology perspective was the first step towards building technological competitive advantages within this province. “We look forward to using this information to drive clean technology development in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Clean technology refers to products, processes, and services that improve on environmental performance in support of sustainable development and clean growth. Practically speaking, the use of clean technology can mean improving efficiency, reducing wastes, and/or mitigating the environmental risks of business activity.

NEIA is a not-for-profit association of businesses that promotes the development of clean technology and the growth of the green economy in Newfoundland and Labrador. NEIA has over 200 members. More information can be found at www.neia.org.

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Media Contact:
Kieran Hanley
kieran@neia.org