From Gods Pocket to YVR, how BC programs are providing startups with a testbed at scale

Innovate BC’s integrated marketplace connects local businesses with key customers in major transportation hubs.

In 2020, clean tech startup Moment Energy was a team of four working out of a garage in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.

The company has developed an innovative energy storage solution that repurposes batteries from discarded electric vehicles, and its early customers are a few remote, off-grid sites, including a cold-water diving resort called God's Pocket on the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

Today, the company works with international airports serving millions of passengers every year.

It is often difficult for companies to actually adopt new technology when it is not clear what the return on investment will be.

Nathan Nankivell, Innovate BC

Moment Energy is helping Vancouver International Airport (YVR) electrify its airfield vehicle fleet as part of the airport’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030.

For startups, validating their solutions in such complex environments is a critical step towards export sales and scale – but finding early partners isn't always easy.

This is where Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace initiative comes into play.

The program connects local innovators with key strategic buyers at designated testing sites across the state.

The Integrated Marketplace was created by the British Columbia Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation and its government agency, Innovate BC, with funding from Pacifican, to accelerate the adoption of world-class technologies coming from startups across the province.

One big issue is that there are barriers to procurement and adoption, especially for clean technologies, says Nathan Nankivell, vice president of integrated markets at Innovate BC. Without clarity on what the return on investment will be, it's often hard for companies to actually adopt new technologies.

The Integrated Marketplace is designed to accelerate and de-risk the adoption of BC technologies in three key areas: decarbonisation, competitiveness and health and safety.

The testbed currently includes key hubs at YVR, the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Prince Rupert that serve as physical locations where innovation needs can be identified and connected to domestic innovation suppliers with commercially available technologies.

Brenda Bailey, Minister of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, British Columbia (Image provided by Innovate BC)

As part of the program, the Port of Prince Rupert recently announced it will introduce low-emission heavy trucks for port operations. These trucks will be powered in part by Delta-based Hydra Energy, which will generate hydrogen fuel for participating trucks.

Nankivell added that the federal government and British Columbia have made it a priority to look more closely at hydrogen.

And because we have some fantastic companies in BC that are working very effectively in that space, this particular testbed provides a really unique opportunity to test different solutions.

The project will see four new trucks – two hydrogen-fueled, one battery-electric and one hydrogen-diesel co-fired – used on existing routes. Other partners backing the project include Toronto-based hardware technology company NuPort Robotics, Prince Rupert-based trucking company Gat Leedm Logistics and Vancouver-based dealer Velocity Truck Centres.

Nankivell said the Integrated Marketplace often co-funds eligible projects, allowing large purchasers to accelerate innovation efforts and foster early adoption in the state's technology sector.

British Columbia is home to more than 400 clean tech companies, but widespread adoption across the province has been slow to come.

The moment you reach the commercial readiness stage, where you need to actually operate or sell your product, the level of government support isn't necessarily as strong, Nankivell added.

Startups also need reference customers and performance data to sell their products internationally, he noted. To address this, the Integrated Marketplace will open up performance data to participants, helping BC companies translate success in these testbeds into scale-up and export capabilities.

Historically, there hasn't been a lot of federal funding to create markets and support operational use cases, he said. The Integrated Marketplace is part of a state and federal approach to creating programs to address that part of the continuum.

Provided by

Innovate BC works to foster innovation across the province so that all British Columbians can thrive and benefit from a sustainable and inclusive innovation economy.

Learn more about how the Integrated Marketplace Initiative is working to accelerate adoption and mitigate risk of cutting-edge innovation across BC.

Image courtesy of Innovate BC

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