Our cleantech report, released in 2020, showed that the sector has huge economic potential for Canada. However, in order to compete Canada needs to work on expanding this sector and commercializing it.
“Clean technology is a trillion-dollar global industry, but can Canada compete?
“Canadians have long been great innovators,” says Kevin Nilsen, President and CEO of ECO Canada, which is based in Calgary.
He points to the two Canadians who patented a design for a light bulb, Henry Woodward and Matthew Evans. But two years later, American Thomas Edison bought the patent and has since been credited with the invention.
“We haven’t always been the best at supporting organizations to commercialize and to set up a strong, competitive business,” Mr. Nilsen says. “That’s why sometimes some of the great innovations are bought by other countries.””
