The resource industry is a tough nut to crack, according to Neil Huff.
The managing director of the Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre works with nearly 20 early stage companies to help them build their businesses in the green industry.
Just one of those companies is involved in the resource sector.
“Alberta has the oil corporations, so typically if an engineer or a technologist graduates they’re going to go work for the oil companies,” Huff said.
“We don’t have that here in B.C. to any large extent so what tends to happen is that we have a much stronger entrepreneurial base…but no real focus.”
But he noted Alberta and B.C. could bridge that industry gap as more businesses recognize the benefits of cutting down emissions when their bottom lines are being affected by carbon taxes.
For example, General Electric (NYSE: GE) (GE) is pushing for innovators to come forward to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through new uses for waste heat and more efficient steam generation. The winners of the Ecomagination Challenge have the chance to split $1 million in seed money to fund their ideas.
“It’s amazing when you spell out a challenge that you’re having and you lay out what kind of objectives you want to achieve,” said James Cleland, GE’s global general manager for heavy oil.
“It’s amazing when people who work in adjacent industries see that and they can make connections that we sometimes aren’t able to make.”
Huff said the potential liquefied natural gas (LNG) boom the B.C. government has been pushing could also create more opportunities for West Coast cleantech innovators.
“There’s a bit of discussion going on now about being the cleanest LNG (producer),” he said, “and there’s a lot of work to do make that happen.”
Submissions for the GE challenge, which is split into two phases, close September 30 and March 15 2015. More information can be found at www.geghgecochallenge.com.
