The Government of Canada is supporting initiatives that build a clean and prosperous future. Specifically, that includes helping B.C. companies lower their environmental footprint while creating jobs.

Today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan), announced $1.04 million in funding. This grant goes to the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus (UBCO) to help local businesses implement cutting-edge circular economy practices.

Creating Value, Reducing Waste

In a circular economy, nothing is waste. Instead, the circular economy retains and recovers as much value as possible from resources. We achieve this by reusing, repairing, refurbishing, remanufacturing, repurposing, or recycling products and materials.

Ultimately, it’s about using valuable resources wisely. It means thinking about waste as a resource instead of a cost. Therefore, we are finding innovative ways to better the environment and the economy.

UBCO and PacifiCan Partnership

With this PacifiCan funding, UBCO will connect local businesses with engineering expertise. Consequently, this will help save industrial materials from landfills while designing new green products from fully bio-sourced materials.

Additionally, UBCO will buy new equipment and expand its advanced materials and manufacturing testing capabilities. This ensures that more companies can access this support. Technical knowledge developed through these projects will be saved in a digital repository. As a result, this will help current and future companies embrace circular economy practices.

The combination of in-person expertise and a digital repository is the first of its kind in the province. Furthermore, it will build on B.C.’s leadership in clean technology. It will also raise the profile of local companies and innovators who are creating solutions with global impact.

Expanding PacifiCan’s Reach

Minister Sajjan made the announcement while celebrating the launch of UBCO’s Clean Tech Hub. This innovation space received $1.9M from PacifiCan in 2021. In fact, this investment is helping UBCO catalyze academic-industry collaborations that help Canadian companies bring their technologies to international markets.

This morning, Minister Sajjan also announced the opening of new PacifiCan offices in Kelowna and Cranbrook. Our expanded footprint means PacifiCan will be more accessible to British Columbians. Moreover, it will support high-impact local investments and quality advice to advance the region’s diverse economic interests.