Skip to content

Minister Bains announces support for Canada’s next cleantech champions

August 22, 2019

SDTC investments will create jobs, reduce pollution and energy costs, and develop smart clean technologies

August 22, 2019 – Mississauga, Ontario

Across Canada, companies at the forefront of clean technology innovation are developing solutions that will support economic growth, create jobs and protect the environment. The Government of Canada has prioritized investments in cleantech to ensure Canadian companies are positioned to compete in this growing industry, expected to reach a value of 2.5 trillion-dollars by 2022.

Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, participated in Sustainable Development Technology Canada’s annual public meeting to announce how 18 cleantech companies across Canada will leverage $56 million in funding to bring new and innovative clean technologies to market.

These innovations are having an impact across Canada. For example, Routific in Vancouver, British Columbia is reducing fuel costs and emissions in the last leg of the delivery supply chain; while in Quebec, software developer Kaloom Inc., is working to optimize the energy use of servers; and in Ontario, JDRF Electromag is developing new low-cost smart lighting for commercial buildings. From coast-to-coast-to-coast, Canadian cleantech companies are leading the way in tackling our environmental challenges.

Investments in clean technology are part of the Government’s Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year strategy that is positioning Canada to be a global center for innovation, creating good middle-class jobs right across the country.

Quotes

“Canadians are leading the world’s transition to a low-carbon economy, and clean technology is part of the solution.  Our government is positioning Canadians to seize the opportunities created by cleantech to create good jobs and leave a cleaner planet for our kids.”
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

“SDTC fosters Canadian cleantech innovation by driving outcomes for companies as they commercialize their products and services globally. Canada’s cleantech entrepreneurs are on the verge of breaking through. SDTC is proud to play a central role in supporting our Team Canada Cleantech leaders to Own the Podium.”
– Leah Lawrence, President and CEO of Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Quick facts

  • Canada is number one in the G20 for cleantech innovation. In January 2019, 12 Canadian companies were recognized on the 2019 Global Cleantech 100 List. One in ten companies named to the annual Global Cleantech 100 List in the past two years have been SDTC partners.
  • The clean technology market is set to exceed $2.5 trillion by 2022.
  • Sustainable Development Technology Canada is a foundation created by the Government of Canada to support Canadian companies with the potential to become world leaders as they develop and demonstrate new technologies to address some of our most pressing environmental challenges.
  • SDTC has invested over $1.15 billion in almost 400 companies. These companies are creating more than 13,000 well-paying jobs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 18.1 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.
  • In the past year alone, SDTC has supported 2,164 jobs in cleantech.
  • The Clean Growth Hub works with companies to advance cleantech projects in Canada. The Hub’s team of experts from across government helps clean technology developers and adopters identify the federal programs and services most relevant to their needs.

    Backgrounder

    British Columbia

    • $1.8 million to Routific. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Routific uses artificial intelligence to optimize routes for the last leg of the delivery supply chain. These algorithms have shown to be 20% more effective than human dispatchers, which will reduce fuel costs all across the industry.
    • $2.2 million to Advanced Intelligent Systems of Burnaby, British Columbia. This company is automating dangerous and difficult tasks in the nursery and agriculture industries through custom robotic solutions.

    Alberta

    • $3.5 million to C2CNT Corporation from Calgary, Alberta. This company’s process has the potential to produce less expensive, higher quality and more sustainable carbon nanotubes from recycled carbon dioxide.

    Manitoba

    • $3.2 million to HD-Petroleum Inc. of Winnipeg, Manitoba. HD-Petroleum’s patent-protected technology is used to convert used oil into distillate fuel products such as diesel with an 85% conversion efficiency. This compact technology will drive cities to re-refine their oil instead of sending it to waste, drastically cutting back on the amount of wasted oil each year.

    Ontario

    • $2.4 million to BluWave-ai from Ottawa, Ontario, whose artificial Intelligence (AI) software improves energy grid predictions, optimizations and controls for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar farms.
    • $2 million to Savormetrics. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Savormetrics has developed a multi-sensor platform that measures food properties throughout the production process and uses AI to predict food quality and minimise waste.
    • $3.2 million to JDRF Electromag. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, JDRF Electromag brings low-cost smart lighting to commercial buildings, reducing energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions.
    • $2.3 million to Genecis from Toronto, Ontario, which is developing a revolutionary, low-cost version of biodegradable thermoplastics by modifying them to make the thermoplastics more useful in a wider range of applications. Genecis is also one of six finalists selected to receive support to develop their clean technologies into marketable, world-class clean technology solutions through the Women in Cleantech Challenge, which is the first of six clean technology challenges that are part of the Impact Canada Initiative. These Challenges were designed to attract a diverse range of problem solvers to generate breakthrough clean technology outcomes
    • $2.6 million to Enersion from Toronto, Ontario. Enersion has developed a unique cooling technology that uses over 70% less electricity compared to currently used compression based chillers. This technology also uses no harmful synthetic refrigerants, which contribute to global warming.
    • $1.7 million to H2NanO Inc. from Kitchener, Ontario. H2NanO is developing a passive water treatment that removes organic contaminants from oil sands process affected water. This will reduce water use and increase water-recycling rates at oil sands operations.
    • $6.7 million to Ecopia Tech from Toronto, Ontario. Ecopia leverages AI to convert high resolution images of the earth into HD vector maps. This digital representation of the real world offers unique insight for decision-making at-scale.

    Quebec

    • $4.9 million to Kruger Biomaterials Inc. from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. Kruger has developed its trademarked FiloCell technology, which lowers greenhouse gas emissions from concrete use in the industrial sector by allowing the use of lower compressive strength concrete at a similar performance level to that of a higher compressive strength concrete.
    • $2.4 to Kaloom Inc. Based in Montreal, Quebec, Kaloom has developed software focused on optimizing energy use in servers.
    • $5 million to FSG Technologies Inc. of St-Laurent, Quebec who is pioneering flash steam generation, the most promising replacement for steam based production methods in the oil and gas industry.
    • $3 million into Pyrovac Inc., based in Quebec, Quebec. Pyrovac has developed a plastic-to-fuel technology that avoids the production of conventional diesel and reduces plastic waste in landfills.
    • $3.3 million to Montreal, Quebec based GHGSat Inc., which is sending satellites into orbit to remotely sense greenhouse gases.
    • $4.3 million to Nouveau Monde Graphite from Montreal, Quebec. Nouveau Monde Graphite converts low-grade graphite flakes into value-added materials used in batteries.
    • $2 million to Cellufuel from Kingsey Falls, Quebec. Cellufuel produces synthetic, renewable fuels from Canada’s forestry industry.