A race to shape the future of clean energy
Did you know that if countries worldwide actually implement their announced energy and climate pledges, the global market for clean energy technologies will be worth around US $650 billion a year by 2030? That’s approximately three times than it is today. Governments are racing to shape the future of clean energy technologies by increasing the resiliency and diversity of supply chains.
Continued focus on boosting industrial strategies in the sector promises to result in higher investment allure and a more prominent role in international trade. The USA, China, Japan, Canada, and Germany are the most notable a CleanTech players in the world currently. The global competition has created a diverse ecosystem of programs and services to support promising CleanTech entrepreneurs and adopters in Canada.
A formidable authority in global CleanTech
Among the many industries and applications of CleanTech, water, carbon capture, and renewable energy take centre stage in Canada’s CleanTech space. Industry veterans like Carbon Upcycling, Eavor Technologies, Ekona Power and young CleanTech disruptors like Acuicy, Amatec. and Nanode Battery Technologies call Canada home.
Canada is helping solve global water challenges with its innovative water technologies. Canada is the 3rd largest producer of Hydropower and prides itself on acquiring 66.6% of its electricity and 18.9% of its energy supply from renewable sources.
The country is also a recognized leader in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, with about 90% of its tech exported, and holds an impressive 20% share of the world’s large-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage projects.
Canada already ranks #2 on the Global CleanTech Innovation index 2023 and is also the second most represented country in the Global CleanTech 100. Since 2017, the Canadian government has invested over CA $2.3 billion in clean technology innovation, commercialization and adoption.
In 2019, an export target of CA $20 billion per year was placed on ECT products; as of 2021, Canada’s export of ECT products had already reached CA $17.9 billion per year.
Canada’s confidence in the industry has been further reinforced by the latest 2023 Budget, which features significant investment in the clean energy and CleanTech industry. As of April 2022, Canada has 2427 pure play CleanTech firms across industries and provinces.
A leader in water, hydrogen, and CCUs in Canada
Ontario ranks #1 as the largest Cleantech sector in Canada with the province contributing CA $25.2 billion to Canada’s GDP. Ontario is specifically renowned for its pursuit of clean water. The province has made key technological breakthroughs in water remediation through UV disinfection and membrane filtration. Here, you can also find the world’s pioneering all-electric, battery-powered underground mine which successfully eliminates greenhouse gas emissions related to material movement.
Ontario held the largest share in GDP contribution to the sector. In 2021, Ontario represented 34.5%, while Quebec accounted for 29.8% and British Columbia accounted for 15.1%.
Ontario is home to 5000 CleanTech companies, out of which five made it into the world’s Top 100: Ecobee (smart thermometers); GaN Systems (power transistors); GE Vernova (renewable power efficiency); Li-Cycle (lithium battery recycling); Parity (energy efficiency).
Some of the key CleanTech hubs within Ontario are Toronto-Waterloo and Kingston.
Ontario is the second largest tech cluster in North America and also hosts a concentration of world-class universities. The University of Toronto, McMaster University, University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University, Conestoga College, Western University, and many more dispense top tech talent. In fact, graduates from the University of Waterloo are known to be the second most frequently hired by Silicon Valley companies.
A particularly significant development in Ontario is the recently established Environmental and Related Technologies Hub (EaRTH) District that fosters CleanTech companies by providing access to exceptional R&D facilities, a skilled workforce, and readily available serviced industrial and commercial spaces.
The EaRTH District comprises five GTA Colleges and Universities, Centennial College, the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), Ontario Tech University, Durham College, and Trent University. Together they are dedicated to sector-focused collaboration in the form of expertise, knowledge mobilization, active collaboration, and job creation to develop the region’s clean, green, sustainable technology sectors.
Canada’s trade agreements cover markets valued at over US $50 trillion with 1.7 billion consumers. Canada has free trade agreements with the largest manufacturing markets in the world: the United States (USMCA), the European Union (CETA) and Asia-Pacific (CPTPP).
Your business can have access to 187 million consumers within a day’s drive of the Greater Toronto Area. Ontario has 4 international and 300 regional airports, 250,000 km of roads and highways, a dozen border crossings and the 6th most internationally connected airport in the world.
See all of our programs and find out how TBDC can maximize the potential in your CleanTech business.
Largest CleanTech
sector in Canada
Employees
CleanTech environment companies
water technology
incubators
Contribution to GDP
in annual exports
Funding, Resources and Organizations
Using the Business Benefit Finder, you can find many more government grants and incentives relevant to your tech startup.
Canada’s Innovation Superclusters foster collaboration among industry leaders, SMEs, non-profit organizations, and post-secondary institutions to accelerate growth in five promising sectors:
As a startup in the CleanTech space, if you think your product or service can add value to any of these sectors, you can apply for membership. Members have the opportunity to propose and participate in Supercluster projects. Approx CA $750 million over five years has been earmarked for Canada’s Global Innovation Clusters.
Other resources include:
is a prime business accelerator for sustainable chemistry. Visit Site
represents organizations and individuals directly involved in the development and application of wind, solar and energy storage technologies, products and services. Visit Site
is partnered with Trent University and offers a Research and Innovation Park for startups, spinouts, growth ventures, and corporate accelerators focused on CleanTech. Visit Site
situated at Ontario Tech’s north Oshawa site, is a premier facility that aims to pioneer clean energy research and uncover major solutions to the problem of climate change. Currently, researchers are pioneering the world’s initial lab-scale demonstration of a copper-chlorine cycle for thermochemical water splitting and nuclear hydrogen production. Visit Site
is a partnership between Foresight Canada and Social Innovation Canada to support those working on climate or water technology by helping validate their solutions and business models, advance their technologies, raise funding, and create meaningful impact. Visit Site
is a membership-based organization that advances the energy storage industry in Canada through collaboration, education, policy advocacy and research. Visit Site
is a community bringing together knowledge and opportunities to realize the benefits of hydrogen energy. Visit Site
is a provincial association that promotes, fosters, and grows Ontario’s clean technology sector. They provide funding opportunities too. Visit Site
situated at Ontario Tech’s north Oshawa site, is a premier facility that aims to pioneer clean energy research and uncover major solutions to the problem of climate change. Currently, researchers are pioneering the world’s initial lab-scale demonstration of a copper-chlorine cycle for thermochemical water splitting and nuclear hydrogen productions.
Visit Site
brings social innovation practitioners together to build the capacity of the sector. Visit Site
