The Innovation Cluster Peterborough and the Kawarthas has announced a strategic collaboration with BWXT Nuclear Energy Canada (NEC), with goals that include communicating the benefits of nuclear energy by “addressing and transforming public perception” and boosting local employment in the nuclear industry.
A subsidiary of BWXT Canada Ltd., BWXT NEC supplies fuel and fuel channel components, services, equipment and parts for the 30 operating CANDU nuclear reactors around the world, including those at the Bruce, Darlington, and Pickering nuclear generating stations in Ontario. The company employs around 500 highly skilled workers in its three locations in Peterborough, Toronto, and Arnprior, with around 400 employees at the Peterborough location on Monaghan Road.
“Our collaboration with the Innovation Cluster highlights BWXT’s commitment to innovation, local job creation, and deepening our relationships within Peterborough,” says Brett Jermyn, BWXT NEC director of fuel handling and engineered solutions, in a media release. “We’re excited to be working with the organization and tapping into their expertise and network to further enable our nuclear innovations and support our community.”
According to the media release, the collaboration “aims to highlight the importance of clean technology for the future, expand the local clean tech network, and spark further innovation for the nuclear industry.”
As part of the collaboration, BWXT NEC will have an office in the Innovation Cluster’s incubator in the Venture North building in downtown Peterborough, where it will offer workshops, training, and strategic planning. BWXT NEC is the first “zone partner” in the Innovation Cluster’s new corporate sponsorship initiative.
“Collaborating with BWXT NEC is a transformative step for our region, underscoring the synergy between clean tech innovation and sustainable development,” says the Innovation Cluster’s executive director Camila Duarte. “This collaboration aligns with our mission to cultivate a thriving innovation ecosystem and shows how strategic relationships can accelerate progress in essential sectors like health tech, clean tech, and nuclear energy.”
The Innovation Cluster will be hosting a discussion panel about clean technology and nuclear energy from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 25th called “New Age of Energy Panel: Innovations in Nuclear for a Sustainable Future.”
Along with Jermyn, the panellists include Chris Deschenes, director of small modular reactor (SMR) business development at Ontario Power Generation (which operates the Pickering and Darlington nuclear generating stations), Bryan Watson, senior vice president of business development at financing firm Venbridge and managing director of CleanTech North, and Jason Wight, president and founder of Lightspeed Innovation. The panel will be moderated by Sayyed Ali Hosseini, associate professor and director of the Machining Research Lab at Ontario Tech University.
Everyone is welcome to register for the free event, which takes place at the Innovation Cluster’s office at 270 George St. N., at newageofenergy.eventbrite.ca.
