European Union tour results in research, innovation and technology partnerships

WHITEHORSE – Delegates from Yukon College and Government of Yukon visited Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark January 29 to February 12 to meet with potential international research partners and explore bioenergy and alternative energy technologies and innovations.

“This mission is the first step for the Yukon Research Centre of Excellence (YRCE) as we pursue research into solutions for permafrost damage, biochar, and alternative energy for Yukon,” said Chris Hawkins, vice-president of research. “Yukon provides an ideal cold climate lab to test new technologies for development and application here and across the world. We look forward to strengthening international partnerships towards expanding Yukon’s knowledge economy.”

The delegation met with representatives from commercial, academic and government entities and toured numerous alternative energy, permafrost and biochar research sites. These meetings have provided many opportunities for building partnerships and investigating technology potential for Yukon.

From an economic development perspective, several meetings were held and contacts established with various ministries, research councils, foundations and innovation centres.
Next steps resulting from the meetings could include demonstration projects at Yukon College, test and research sites across Yukon, educational curricula, and information exchange and networking programs across the Circum-Arctic. For instance, the Arctic Technology Centre at the Technical University of Denmark is proposing a partnership and task force on various arctic development initiatives.

This trip was made possible through funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT), specifically the Canadian International Centre for the Arctic Region (CICAR). Support for the tour was provided by the embassies in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, and Yukon Department of Economic Development and the Executive Council Office.
The Yukon Research Centre of Excellence (YRCE) is a research and innovation centre at Yukon College. It brings together several programs and services with a common goal to develop collaborative research and innovation important to Yukon, Canada and the world.