Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology for Newfoundland and Labrador, explains how his department is accelerating growth through research and development and innovation.
Situated off the eastern coast of the North American mainland, the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador is ideally situated with great promise for research and development in areas such as critical minerals, sustainable energy, and technology.
The Department of Industry, Energy and Technology (IET) leads innovation, economic development and diversification in the province, with a mission to accelerate growth. The department focuses on creating a competitive environment to support private sector investment and business growth and works closely with key stakeholders to do so. In recent years, the Department has launched a series of programmes and initiatives to support innovation and research and development (R&D) within the province. Such developments include a Critical Minerals Strategy; Innovation and Business Development Fund; Green Transition Fund, and much more.
Georgie Purcell, Editor of The Innovation Platform, spoke to the Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, to learn more about the department’s R&D strategies and the innovations coming out of the province.
Can you elaborate on Newfoundland and Labrador’s energy and technology landscape currently? What are your key focuses at present?
Energy and technology are now two of our greatest strengths and we are poised for growth in both sectors, particularly energy.
In recent years, we have focused a lot of attention on creating a world-class green hydrogen industry. We have been working on designing a framework and structuring legislation and policy; ensuring benefits for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians; and focusing on environmental sustainability and job creation. This is also a major step forward in terms of our net zero aspirations and allows us to contribute to global energy security.
We have a wide range of technology innovations spanning across a variety of subsectors, including information and communication, health and biotech, aerospace, defence, and clean tech.
Newfoundland and Labrador is a small province, but we are achieving global recognition for our work in areas such as subsea imaging, fraud detection, collaborative engineering, and energy efficiency. We are also strategically located to be a centre of excellence for marine research, cold ocean research, and development tech commercialisation. Our statement is: “If you can make it work here, it will work anywhere in the world.”
Can you provide some examples of recent projects or initiatives that you are particularly proud of?
I am just one part of a small but extremely mighty and nimble team. The department is carrying out amazing work.
We have put a lot of work into the area of wind energy, as well as green hydrogen. Currently, we have six projects, at different stages, that are looking to use wind power. We also have an abundance of water to produce green hydrogen. Over the next three to four decades, the overall economic impact of construction, operations and decommissioning on the province is expected to total around C$220bn. With a capital spend of around C$72bn, this is a massive impact.
One standout initiative we launched is the Green Transition Fund. Working with our partners in the offshore oil industry, the fund enables us to support businesses, organisations and academia working towards the transition to a green economy. This is a major ongoing programme and, just last week, we produced six new projects totalling around C$2m of investment.
In July 2024, we officially opened the Co. Innovation Centre – an incubator space for local companies and organisations. It has on-site R&D and testing facilities, co-working spaces, and features the first commercially available 3D metal printer. This was a C$7m investment from our government and the work behind it to bring together the different partners is something that I’m especially proud of. It was a huge lesson in teamwork, persistence and patience, and now we have a positive result.
How is research and innovation helping to accelerate Newfoundland and Labrador’s offerings?
Research is key. Our flagship university, Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), has been producing spinout companies from its research for decades. We have a broad range of programming that supports R&D, both for commercial and non-commercial applicants, and we are trying to realise the commercial impact and potential of innovation.
To achieve our goal of long-term economic benefit, it is important that we invest in early-stage R&D and establish close partnerships with academia. We are supporting them to reduce the technical and financial risk of R&D and discover the commercial potential of the products and processes they are developing.
In terms of non-commercial developments, we provide support through non-repayable contributions to groups such as academics or research institutions. If we can support and develop highly qualified people or high-level research and programming, this will have great long-term benefits for our R&D capacity.
We work to build state-of-the-art infrastructure, strengthen our technical expertise, and establish strong partnerships. Partnerships is the mantra here. We work closely with industry and academia, and we are also placing a strong focus on partnerships with our Indigenous communities. Collaboration is a nice buzzword, but I am confident we are practising what we preach here. For example, last year we invested C$6m in carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) to partner researchers working on carbon capture technology.
How important is national and international collaboration for Newfoundland and Labrador’s economic prosperity?
I am a firm believer that our key to survival is not just within Newfoundland and Labrador, or even through Canada or North America – we must be internationally focused. We need to consider international business development to help local companies thrive. We work with local companies to support them in expanding their exports and helping them to compete on a global level. We also determine how we can help them to minimise the risks of expansion and diversify their opportunities. We are always trying to find a way to increase the volume of goods from Newfoundland and Labrador.
We also have programming throughout the department aimed at trying to leverage international relationships. We participate in many trade shows globally, whether it’s through government directly or by funding companies to participate. Through these trade events, we are also trying to interest the world to find partnerships here in Newfoundland and Labrador. From mainland Europe and the United States to Asia, we are getting our feet on the ground everywhere and flying the flag for the province to showcase what we have here and highlight our government’s commitment to developing world-class products. We also use these shows to educate people on why the province is a great place to invest and trade.
I cannot stress enough that we will not survive by simply relying on Newfoundland and Labrador alone – we must be part of the international scene.
Canada officially joined the Horizon Europe programme in July of this year. What impact could this have for local businesses and organisations in the future?
We welcome any investment in R&D. The agreement to join Pillar II of Horizon Europe affords Canadians and Newfoundlanders and Labordorians greater access to the programme, alongside leadership opportunities and the chance to be a part of decision making.
Through Horizon Europe, we hope our R&D and innovation communities will help develop solutions to tackle some of the major global challenges, from health to climate. We want researchers and enterprises in Newfoundland and Labrador to take full advantage of this fantastic opportunity.
Please note, this article will also appear in the 20th edition of our quarterly publication.
