Building B.C.’s Cleaner Future

Key Points: 

How is British Columbia turning cleantech innovation into meaningful impact? British Columbia is using testbeds across the province to deploy cleantech and strengthen its economy.

• Cleantech Deployment: B.C. is testing clean transportation, energy and digital solutions at the Port of Prince Rupert and Vancouver International Airport to reduce emissions and modernize infrastructure.
• Integrated Marketplace: Innovate BC enables these projects by using testbeds at airports, seaports, health, forestry and emergency management to deploy and scale B.C. innovations.
• Look West Strategy Alignment: These initiatives support workforce growth, innovation, supply‑chain resilience, and B.C.’s long‑term economic competitiveness.

British Columbia (B.C.) has a strong and growing cleantech sector, recognized for its ability to develop and commercialize innovative technologies. With established strengths in bio-based fuels and products, renewable energy, clean transportation and energy efficiency, the province is advancing solutions that support both economic growth and a more sustainable future.

This momentum aligns with Look West, B.C.’s long-term economic strategy focused on strengthening the workforce, accelerating major projects and diversifying markets while growing priority sectors. While cleantech is not identified as a standalone focus area, the strategy emphasizes industries such as trade and logistics, maritime, aerospace, AI and quantum computing, life sciences, construction innovation, agriculture and tourism — all areas where clean technologies can play a transformative role.

B.C.’s cleantech strengths and the Look West strategy reflect a coordinated approach, pairing innovation with real‑world deployment to build a more resilient and globally competitive economy.

Cleantech in Action: Real-World Testbeds Across B.C.

This combined approach, linking B.C.’s cleantech strengths and the Look West strategy, is already taking shape through testing environments across the province.  January 2026 announced initiatives at the Port of Prince Rupert and Vancouver International Airport (YVR)  that are demonstrating how cleantech solutions are being applied directly within major transportation and supply chain corridors.

These projects move beyond concept development, showcasing how clean-energy innovation can modernize critical infrastructure, improve operational efficiency and support B.C.’s transition to a low-carbon economy. These initiatives are part of B.C.’s Integrated Marketplace, delivered by Innovate BC which supports the real‑world deployment of B.C. innovations across key sectors.

Prince Rupert: Advancing Cleantech in Heavy-Duty Port Operations

At the Port of Prince Rupert, more than $1.7 million is being invested in three dual-use technology projects that support Canada’s defence priorities while reducing emissions, improving safety and strengthening jobs in northern communities. The funding supports projects deploying solutions from Nuport Robotics, Open Ocean Robotics and Hydra Energy, each deploying clean technologies tailored to port and logistics operations.

• Nuport Robotics is a Canadian autonomous trucking company specializing in middle-mile short-haul routes; the project demonstrating their solution received $306,000 to install a data-acquisition system on a short-haul truck. The system is designed to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, de-risk technology deployment and provide port users with enhanced operational data to improve productivity and competitiveness.
• Open Ocean Robotics is a Victoria-based marine technology company; the project receiving $409,000 to test its solar-powered, zero-emission uncrewed surface vessel at the port. The vessel will support safer operations through remote monitoring of marine conditions while collecting valuable ocean and environmental data for port users.
• Hydra Energy, a Delta-based cleantech company specializing in hydrogen-diesel co-combustion systems for heavy-duty trucking, is leading a project with the Prince Rupert Port Authority that received $1 million. The initiative includes building a hydrogen-fuelling station and testing zero- and low-emission vehicles to support short-haul, local and long-haul deliveries as part of the port’s broader decarbonization efforts.

Prince Rupert’s work on low- and zero-emission technologies builds on earlier efforts to modernize port logistics and reduce emissions, including initiatives focused on next-generation trucking solutions.
Related reading: Prince Rupert to Welcome Next-Gen Trucks – Trade and Invest BC

Together, these projects position Prince Rupert as a key site for demonstrating scalable cleantech solutions in complex industrial environments.

YVR: Scaling Cleantech at a Global Transportation Hub

While Prince Rupert highlights cleantech in heavy-duty and marine operations, a parallel effort is underway at one of the province’s busiest transportation hubs.

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is Canada’s second-busiest airport and a major trans-Pacific gateway. Among the projects being demonstrated at YVR, more than $1.2 million is supporting initiatives to test electric vehicle charging, battery storage and low-emission ground-support technologies. These initiatives support the transition to cleaner airport operations while demonstrating solutions with global market potential.

• Charza, a cleantech company specializing in EV charging solutions, is deploying a tap-and-go charging system across multiple YVR sites. A contribution of $670,000 will support the demonstration of real-time energy monitoring, secure access and flexible pay-per-use options to better manage charging demand.
• Holinova Technology Ltd. is an energy solutions company operating across clean-tech and utility-focused brands; the project was awarded $200,000 to implement a grid-scale mobile battery storage and EV charging system designed to enhance airport safety while improving overall energy efficiency.
• Island Auto, a B.C.-based automotive specialist, is collaborating with Enedym, an Ontario-based innovator developing sustainable electric motors. Through a partnership between Island Auto and Enedym, their project was awarded $350,000 to electrify aircraft belt loaders at YVR, demonstrating how cross-provincial collaboration can deliver scalable, Canadian-made solutions that reduce emissions in airport operations.

These projects underscore YVR’s role as a living laboratory for cleantech deployment in globally connected infrastructure.

Enabling Scale Through Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace

Supporting both the Prince Rupert and YVR initiatives is Innovate BC’s Integrated Marketplace, a provincial initiative that supports partnerships between B.C.-based technology companies and major B.C. industry partners to test and scale innovations in real-world settings.

Delivered by Innovate BC, a provincial Crown agency mandated to foster innovation and economic growth, the Integrated Marketplace helps companies move from pilot projects to broader deployment while reducing risk for industry partners. The Integrated Marketplace supports real-world deployments at testbeds across a variety of sectors and industries including major airports, seaports, health, forestry and emergency management.

The Integrated Marketplace is supported by up to $41.5 million from the Province and $11.7 million from the Government of Canada through PacifiCan, helping lower emissions, boost productivity, grow the economy and create jobs by accelerating the adoption of made-in-B.C. innovations.

Building a Resilient, Low-Carbon Economy

Collectively, these initiatives advance the goals of the Look West strategy by creating jobs, strengthening the workforce and accelerating innovation across priority sectors. Technologies tested in northern B.C. also contribute to Canada’s sovereignty and defence capabilities, enabling applications such as uncrewed marine vessels for the coast guard and navy, while improving logistics and supply-chain efficiency for both commercial and defence operations.

Through targeted investments in high-tech and emerging industries, Look West aims to expand market opportunities, grow the economic value of B.C.’s technology sector by 75%, and double employment to 400,000, reinforcing the province’s position as a hub for innovation, sustainability and global trade.

Turning Innovation into Opportunity

As cleantech adoption accelerates, B.C.’s real-world testbeds are proving essential to turning innovation into impact. For technology companies, industry partners and global investors, these initiatives highlight opportunities to pilot, validate and scale solutions in one of the world’s most forward-looking innovation ecosystems.

By continuing to connect innovation with infrastructure, B.C. is not only building a cleaner economy — it is creating pathways for local companies to compete, grow and succeed on the global stage.

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