Spotlight on Cleantech

Leah Lawrence

President and CEO

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)

Axine Water Technologies

Janice Tran

Co-Founder

Student Energy

Published on February 28, 2018

Watch and Read the Experts’ Full Interviews:

Cleantech 4.0: Robust ideas and competitive deployment for real environmental benefits Leah Lawrence President and CEO Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC)
Cleantech is Not Just a Sector, it is the Underpinning of Canada’s Future Economy Tom Rand Managing Partner ArcTern Ventures
The Challenge of Scaling Up: Down to the caliber of our management class Jonathan Rhone President and CEO Axine Water Technologies
Today’s Youth Will Have to Put the Clean Growth Agenda Into Action Janice Tran Co-Founder Student Energy

The global cleantech market represents a $1 trillion opportunity, and Canada must position itself to capture a large portion of that pie. Canadian cleantech companies are gaining increasing international recognition for their revolutionary technologies with global applications. But more must be done to secure Canada as a global cleantech leader, as well as to promote the implementation of those technologies here at home.

This Spotlight focuses on what Canada, its cleantech innovators, the federal and provincial governments, the finance community and all other key stakeholders must do more of and what we must do differently to ensure that Canada is at the head of the pack in the crucial global cleantech race.

Key Takeaways & Calls to Action

We need a “Team Canada” approach – one that involves both private and public sector leadership – to making our cleantech ecosystem competitive on the world stage.
Canada must get serious about supporting the global commercialization efforts of its cleantech companies. The market should pick winners and then the government should provide capital and commercialization support to those who can sign large commercial contracts, even though they do not have a balance sheet.
Canadian cleantech companies need more sophisticated management in the finance, marketing, sales and product management areas in order to scale up and commercialize. They also require greater local pull from more Canadian early-adopters of their technology.
Canada is at risk of brain drain; young people get frustrated with the scale of thinking, so they leave. Canada must build the support systems and environment for young talent to grow and feel supported.

About the Experts

Leah Lawrence is President and Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), where she leads the organization’s efforts to fund and scale Canadian clean technology companies. She brings experience in finance, governance, and public policy, supporting the commercialization of innovative solutions addressing climate change and environmental sustainability.

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is a federal foundation that funds and supports Canadian clean technology development and demonstration projects.
It works with industry, government, and investors to accelerate the commercialization of solutions that address climate and environmental challenges.

Leah Lawrence
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Tom Rand is Managing Partner at Arctern Ventures, where he leads early-stage investments in climate and deep decarbonization technologies. An entrepreneur and investor, he has founded and backed multiple clean-energy ventures and is also known as the author of Waking the Frog, focused on market-based solutions to climate change.

Arctern Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in early-stage climate technology companies.
The firm focuses on scalable solutions addressing decarbonization across energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Tom Rand ArcTern Ventures
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Jonathan Rhone is President and Chief Executive Officer of Axine Water Technologies, where he leads the company’s commercialization of electrochemical oxidation solutions for industrial wastewater treatment. He has extensive experience in clean technology development and business leadership, with a focus on scaling innovative environmental solutions for global industrial applications.

Axine Water Technologies is a clean technology company specializing in advanced electrochemical wastewater treatment solutions.
Its platform targets the removal of persistent organic contaminants from industrial wastewater in sectors such as pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

Jonathan Rhone Axine Water Technologies
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Janice Tran is Co-Founder of Student Energy, a global nonprofit that empowers young people to lead the transition to a sustainable energy future. She helped build the organization into an international network spanning over 120 countries, supporting youth-led initiatives, training programs, and policy engagement across the clean energy sector.

Student Energy is a global nonprofit organization focused on youth engagement in the energy transition.
It provides training, funding, and platforms for young leaders to accelerate clean energy solutions worldwide.

Janice Tran Student Energy
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