The federal government is investing $450,000 into the Alberta-based hub, Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN). CRIN represents a network of stakeholders in the oil and gas industry that are focused on commercializing clean technology for the sector.
“Today’s investment will ensure that Canadian SMEs within the clean resources sector have the tools, knowledge and partnerships needed to continue to innovate and grow.”
CRIN’s goal is to help build partnerships within the clean resources industry and support cleantech business opportunities for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as the oil and gas sector. The government is hoping the investment will assist Canadian businesses adopt clean solutions and lead to new business expenditures in research and development. This latest investment was made through the Western Economic Diversification Canada, a regional development agency supporting tech organizations and projects in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC.
“We appreciate the commitment of Western Economic Diversification Canada in their support of growing the CRIN ecosystem,” said Joy Romero, chair of the CRIN. “By further strengthening our innovation ecosystem, we will accelerate finding new technology solutions for commercialization and adoption so that Canada is the global leader in producing clean hydrocarbon energy from source to end use.”
CRIN aims to facilitate collaboration by leveraging research, looking at gaps in the industry that should be addressed, and encouraging innovations that can accelerate and deliver new solutions to move the sector to be low carbon and low cost.
RELATED: Government announces $13 million investment in Calgary-based cleantech companies
CRIN’s members include national organizations like Business Development Bank of Canada and the National Research Council, startups like Evok Innovations and Mangrove Water Technologies, and academic institutions like McMaster University and the University of Alberta.
The federal budget for 2019 set aside $100 million over the next four years to support CRIN, through the Strategic Innovation Fund. The fifth stream of the fund was opened last month, and is intended support projects that lead partnerships with SMEs, large corporations, non-profit organizations, academia, accelerators, and incubators.
“Today’s investment will ensure that Canadian SMEs within the clean resources sector have the tools, knowledge and partnerships needed to continue to innovate and grow, bolstering the economy by creating good middle-class jobs while reducing the impact on the environment,” said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
Image courtesy Unsplash