Made-in-Vancouver clean tech helps diversify BC’s economy and markets amidst trade war

New Economy Canada’s “Getting Things Built” tour makes a stop at East Vancouver’s Invinity Energy System manufacturing plant

/EIN News/ -- Vancouver, BC, April 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Local elected officials, business and industrial sector leaders and supply chain partners gathered yesterday to discuss how clean tech can diversify BC’s economy and markets amid the trade war. The event was the latest stop on New Economy Canada’s “Getting Things Built” cross-country tour — showcasing companies that are investing, building and hiring locally — and was hosted in partnership with the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and Invinity Energy Systems.

The group convened at Invinity’s one-of-a-kind battery manufacturing plant to discuss how made-in-Vancouver tech is being unleashed to grow BC’s economy, diversify export markets and create local jobs. Participants also saw employees hard at work — making batteries that are being sold and shipped to customers in Canada, Europe, Asia and around the world.  

The global energy storage business is growing faster than any other energy technology, with forecasts showing the market will be worth trillions by 2050. As demand for clean electricity continues to accelerate, more energy storage is needed to support reliability and affordability of grids. And Invinity is stepping up to meet demand.

This manufacturing industry is poised to soar in the coming decades, creating ideal conditions for this Vancouver-based plant and the job opportunities that come with it. In a discussion about how BC can continue to grow this momentum and attract more companies like Invinity to plant roots locally, community and business leaders had much to say.

Merran Smith, President of New Economy Canada said:

“Last year, over two trillion dollars were invested into clean economy sectors globally. This trend to invest in clean energy and clean tech — which also makes the economy more efficient, more productive and more competitive — is going to continue. There will be some ups and downs, but this trend to more efficient, productive and clean energy powered economies will continue globally. BC has what it takes to attract more of that capital so that we can keep getting things built in the province and help British Columbians prosper.”


Bridgitte Anderson, CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade said:

“The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is a strong advocate for sustainable growth and economic development because we understand how it important it is to create an economy that benefits both people and businesses across our region. We launched the 3% challenge, an agenda for economic growth, recently. It calls on governments to embrace 3% GDP annual growth, and this is important not only because economic growth matters for economic security and resiliency in these times of tariffs but also it provides important revenues for government for social services like health and education…it would create good paying jobs, and many reasons we should embrace this challenge.”

Matt Harper, Co-founder, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Invinity Energy Systems said:

“Clean, low-cost energy is central to Canada’s economic future and we are extremely proud to be playing our part in delivering this important resource. 

Even beyond our borders, longer duration energy storage is key to delivering low-carbon energy on demand to homes, businesses and institutions. Invinity’s Canadian operations are already helping provide the solution, delivering the most advanced vanadium flow batteries to our rapidly growing global customer base.

Today’s event confirms that our country has tremendous strength in the innovative individuals, institutions and organisations dedicated to getting things built. Invinity is delighted to be part of New Economy Canada and is looking forward to delivering economic growth and good, durable jobs at home while helping build the world’s future electrical grid.”

Amshen-Joan Phillip, MLA for Vancouver-Strathcona said:

“British Columbia is leading the country when it comes to clean energy technologies. This is such a cutting-edge industry. It means so much, both in terms of growing our economy within the country, and not relying on our former friends to the south, but also, it’s clean energy and we’re contributing to that.’

Lisa Dominato, Vancouver City Councillor said:

“There’s a couple of areas cities can focus on [to support clean tech]. Setting clear policy goals so the market knows what our priorities are, helps us to work together and also helps the private sector to come in and innovate. We want to attract businesses to the City of Vancouver and to the region, but we do need to reduce the red tape. The output of that is jobs…There’s 80 jobs through Invinity, we want to create more jobs in the region…high paying jobs. And the last area we can focus on in cities is protecting industrial lands so that we can have manufacturing like we have here in East Vancouver. And that’s a really important part of supporting this space in the clean tech sector.”

Sarah Goodman, President and CEO, BC Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy said:

“[Clean tech] requires patient, long-term capital that can develop real gamechangers. Public and non-for-profit investment can change the economics of it. Pivotal moments of small investment early on can unlock huge market advantages.”

Jaime Houssian, Principal, Elemental Energy Inc said:
“Invinity’s energy storage systems take a good thing and makes it better. And that’s what we’re trying to do with renewable energy, take a good thing and make it better. And that will enable it to be more commonplace. Renewables often take heat for being intermittent, and batteries help. They’re going to enable greater integration and penetration of renewables across the world. Canada can be a leader, both in the technology development as well as the roll out and commercialization and execution.”

Michael Goehring, President and CEO, Mining Association of BC said:
“A company like Invinity makes up a really important ecosystem here in Vancouver and across the lower mainland of clean tech and high-tech companies that provide services and goods to BC’s mining industry. In BC we have 18 operating mines, two smelters and more than a dozen development companies, and they all purchase goods and services in BC…supporting BC-based homegrown intellectual property and BC know-how that is working to come up with an idea, to commercialize, sell and export. Companies like Invinity and other clean tech companies are vital to our industry today and into the future to keep us growing and keep us low carbon.”

About New Economy Canada 
New Economy Canada is a non-partisan initiative uniting over 60 companies, industrial sector associations, as well as labour and Indigenous organizations, all committed to accelerating investment in Canada’s clean economy. A full list of our members can be found at neweconomycanada.ca. 

Our quickly growing membership employs or represents over 410,000 workers and generates annual revenues of over $200 billion CAD.

Attachments

• Panelists at New Economy Canada's #GettingThingsBuilt cross-country tour at East Vancouver's Invinity Energy Systems' manufacturing plant
• Guests tour Invinity Energy Systems' battery technology manufacturing plant

Rebecca Spring
                    New Economy Canada
                    647.338.6274
                    rebecca.spring@neweconomycanada.ca