Clean tech experts say new P.E.I. education and business hub has potential

The new clean tech park planned for Georgetown, P.E.I., has some interesting potential, according to two leaders in the field —one in Canada and the other in Denmark. 

The government of P.E.I. announced in February that it is planning to build a $25-million park that will be a hub for business and education, and would include a 44,000 square-foot Clean Tech Learning and Innovation Centre, as well as a 25 hectare business park.

Tyler Hamilton has been working in the clean tech field for 15 years. He's currently the director of clean tech for the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, which is a non-profit urban innovation hub that supports startups and scale-ups including in the clean tech sector.

"Clean tech is a very broad term. It captures a lot of things, but generally we think of it as anything that is a technology that reduces environmental and climate impacts, but does so in a way that is also very economical," Hamilton said.

Hamilton said the clean tech sector has expanded dramatically in recent years. 

"I've been at this for about 15 years, and I've never seen so much interest around it," Hamilton said.

"The amount of capital available for both the private sector and government seems like it's very top of mind for a lot of investors, and it's being recognized as a necessity if we're going to meet net-zero targets around climate change," Hamilton said.

"The Canadian government also sees it as a engine of economic growth in the 21st century."

Tax free zone

Hamilton said the new Clean Tech Learning and Innovation Centre on P.E.I. has the potential to capitalize on that interest. 

I do think that there will be some attraction to bring companies from other parts of Canada too—Tyler Hamilton, MaRS Discovery District 

"I think it's a smart move. I think that what it will do is seed next generation companies that are coming out of research that's happening, not just on the East Coast, but from across Canada," Hamilton said.

"It's likely to attract more companies to the region, particularly because of the zone that they're creating that gives tax advantages for companies setting up shop there." 

The P.E.I. government has committed to setting up three tax-free clean tech development zones in the province, including the one in Georgetown.

"I do think that there will be some attraction to bring companies from other parts of Canada too, particularly early stage companies that are looking at extra support that they can't get in other places, or are looking for a much lower cost place to set up shop," Hamilton said.

"Because, as you know, Toronto and Vancouver are very expensive markets, and I think there's an attraction to taking advantage of the resources in the east, but also some of the lower cost of operations that you would get there."

Driven by net zero

Hamilton said the idea of having UPEI and Holland College programs at the park also makes sense. 

"It gives a home for companies that spin out of that research and that academic environment to set up shop and establish roots and to grow," Hamilton said. 

"I think the difference here is that they're co-locating this in one place, and creating that business park that's attached to it. It is being done in other areas, but I haven't seen it done as much in Canada, so it's good to see this happening."

Hamilton said net-zero targets are also increasing interest in the clean tech sector.

"They're driving it a lot and it's not just government, either, major corporations, thousands of corporations around the world have set ambitious net-zero targets for 2040, 2050," Hamilton said. 

"This is influencing a lot of decision making."

Green island

Søren Hermansen is the director of the Samsø Energy Academy in Samsø, Denmark — a small island that has become a model for renewable energy and sustainability.

Samsø was part of the inspiration for P.E.I.'s clean tech park, after a delegation from Prince Edward Island visited Samsø and the academy in 2019.

"From my point of view, clean tech is energy-related technology that produces, out of nature, energy. It can be solar, wind, leftover biomass, waste, things that are already in circulation," Hermansen said.

"You're not adding more fossil energy to the equation than you had before, and you treat your production and consumption in a sustainable way. Technologies that are helping society to do that is recognized as clean tech."

You'll also have a role in Canada as being the Green Island of Canada.—Søren Hermansen, Samsø Energy Academy

Hermansen said the new clean tech centre in Georgetown has potential to bring visitors to Prince Edward Island.

"I think there's something about reputation and branding, if you're doing something really good, then people come and see what you're doing, they'll make excursions," Hermansen said.

"You might have a very close collaboration with the university about education programs. You will have people come on longer terms, to study the impact and the introduction of technologies also."

Hermansen said P.E.I. has a similar opportunity to his island of Samsø.

"You'll also have a role in Canada as being the Green Island of Canada. This is something we have benefited from big time on Samsø," Hermansen said.

"We just recently came back from Glasgow at the COP meeting, where we won the UN Climate Leader award, which was very prestigious and very fine. We won it alongside with Paris, so that was not a small thing to do."

Hermansen said he looks forward to visiting the new clean tech park when it is up and running in Georgetown.

"I would love to come and visit. I have been speaking at UPEI before, so I have relatives and friends there," Hermansen said.  

"When this opens, I'll be the first one to knock on the door and visit. I think it's really interesting to have like a sister academy, so I look forward to that."