Planned research park dubbed Cleantech Commons
The 85-acre green technology research park planned for near Trent University will be known as Cleantech Commons, project partners announced Thursday morning at the offices of Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED).
The name, unveiled via a multimedia presentation, replaces the tentative name of Trent Research and Innovation Park. Officials provided an overview of the new Cleantech Commons name, logo, website presence and the tagline “Canada’s Premier Cleantech Destination.”
The park will host companies and startup enterprises in environmentally focused fields such as environmental services, advanced material sciences, biotechnology and agrifood.
The new brand, including two graphic components, was introduced by Peterborough Mayor Daryl Bennett and Trent president Leo Groarke.
Groarke pointed out that calling things by the right name is key to good governance.
“We wanted an identity that would communicate all of the potential that exists in this space for businesses, partners, researchers, workers and the community. It had to be imaginative and future-focused and this brand fit the bill,” he stated.
There is “no doubt” the city and university “have the potential to become the destination for green, clean businesses that can change the world,” Groarke added.
The new name reflects innovation that will be taking place at the park, with an emphasis on partnerships, shared vision and common benefits from clean technology, Bennett stated. “Cleantech Commons promises to be a cornerstone of our regional economy as well as a tremendous outlet for the knowledge, skills and innovation that flows from Trent University.”
There are two messages Groarke conveys when he speaks about the project. First, that Trent has a significant amount of land and has decided to develop it in an environmentally sensible way, including the creation of the research park.
Second is that the project is not just about Trent.
“We see this as a way forward, not just for the university, but for the community as a whole in all kind s of important ways,” he said. “We see this, in a broader sense, as a way to make Peterborough and area a place for environmental development ... and we’re just excited to be a part of that.”
PKED president Rhonda Keenan highlighted the potential of the brand.
“Peterborough and the Kawarthas has long been recognized for its connection to natural assets and our region’s waterway,” she stated. “With the creation of Cleantech Commons, we are playing to our region’s strengths and putting ourselves on the map as a premier destination for cleantech businesses.”
The lead regional economic development agency is excited to work with Trent and the city to proactively attract and support new tenants for the park, while continuing to position the region as a recognized clean technology hub, she added.
City CAO Allan Seabrooke provided an overview of the next steps for the brand roll-out, including a new website which was also announced as the new virtual home for Cleantech Commons at cleantechcommons.ca.
He was joined by former city planner Malcolm Hunt, who is working as an advisor on the project following the approval of its masterplan and draft plan of subdivision – by the Trent board of governors in June and city council in July.
Noblegen, which researches, cultivates and markets unique microalgae strains and their derivatives for applications from wastewater treatment to nutritional products and eventually pharmaceuticals, intends to be the first tenant of the park.
In September 2016, the company co-founded by Adam Noble unveiled plans for a $20-million, 50,000-square-foot clean tech algae plant.