For Immediate Release
May 9, 2017

ST. JOHN’S, NL – The Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Industry Association (NEIA) held its first Innovation Connector on Monday, featuring the latest in clean technology research from the province’s university and colleges, and exploring the environmental challenges private sector businesses are facing.

“The objective of this event was to create a broader awareness within industry of the expertise we are developing within our academic institutions here in Newfoundland and Labrador around clean technology,” says Kieran Hanley, NEIAs Executive Director. “At the same time, we encouraged industry to send clear signals to the research community on their business needs as they relate to efficiencies and the environment.”

Over the course of the afternoon, attendees took in 24 presentations along three key themes: cleantech in ocean industries; cleantech in waste and water; and cleantech in energy. “Having the opportunity to be exposed to all of this excellent work was an important reminder of the calibre of ongoing local research in clean technology.”

‘Clean technology’ refers to products, processes, and services that improve on environmental performance in support of sustainable development and clean growth. “The development of clean technologies will be an important component in Canada’s efforts to meet its climate change and environmental objectives,” says Hanley. “This creates an enormous opportunity for research and business in Newfoundland and Labrador to contribute by providing new and innovative solutions.”

Hanley says that it is NEIA’s aim to contribute to the alignment of ongoing research and business activities with the climate change priorities of the region and associated growth opportunities internationally. “Through events like the Innovation Connector, we hope to foster increased collaboration between the private sector, academia, governments, and communities around environmental challenges and opportunities.”

More information on the Innovation Connector, including a list of speakers and topics, can be found on the event website at http://www.innovationconnector.ca, or by viewing the #innovationconnector2017 hashtag on twitter. The event was supported by the National Science Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry, and Innovation. The Research and Development Corporation (RDC), Memorial University (including its Grenfell Campus and the Fisheries and Marine Institute), and the College of the North Atlantic were key partners in developing the program.

The event was part of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Innovation Week, a province-wide celebration focusing on furthering growth and developing new opportunities in sectors that include information technology, ocean technology, oil and gas and the green economy. More information on Innovation Week can be found on its website at http://www.innovationweek.ca/.

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 https://neia.org.

Media Contact:
Kieran Hanley
kieran@neia.org

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