Jaxon Caines, technology reporter, Hart Energy: Getting a project or business going is one of the most difficult tasks that people encounter, especially at the start. This organization is helping alleviate that challenge. This is Your Hart Energy LIVE Exclusive with Clean Resource Innovation Network (CRIN).

Glen McCrimmon, director of operations, Clean Resources Innovation Network: CRIN started with a group of energy executives in Calgary getting together and talking about the challenges in the industry and the challenges of the future of the industry with regards to the need to get to net zero and a clean energy future. It started with that group and has expanded out from there over the years where we brought in representatives from a number of sectors of industry that span the innovation ecosystem for oil and gas.

JC: So you saw a need in the industry and now you have over 4,000 members across five sectors assisting the technology development within seven themes. What was that pivotal moment for CRIN?

GM: The thing that really launched Corrin to be as effective as it is today is we were lucky enough to be awarded $100 million of funding from the government of Canada through the Strategic Innovation Fund. And through that funding, we were able to set up competitions in technical theme areas that were relevant to clean technology for oil and gas and really get money flowing into the hands of people who needed to in terms of advancing clean technologies towards a net zero future. Every one of those projects is a partnership between an oil and gas producing company and an innovator, and then we fund up to 50% of the project value through those funds that we got from the government of Canada. We also build tools for our membership that they can use to navigate the ecosystem, find the resources that they need so funders can look for potential innovators to fund, innovators can look for funding or look for customers.

JC: How many projects have you guys funded so far?

GM: So far, we funded 68 projects through that $80 million that we use towards technology development and deployment. And it spans the realm of everything from hydrogen production through to digital solutions.

JC: Where is CRIN going? What's next for your not-for-profit?

GM: So we're quite excited. So we are a not-for-profit, volunteer driven organization and we're quite excited by the projects that we have on the go now. And what we'd like to do going forward is attract more funds to continue doing such work. And then of course, we're here today at the World Petroleum Congress and this is an opportunity to share the success stories and the technologies that are being funded through CRIN with an international audience. And we want to take that even to the next level. And we're planning to go to COP28 in Dubai in December, where we're going to be hosting a pavilion of our own in that space where we can actually do exactly that and showcase all the good work that's happening in the clean tech space towards the cleaner oil and gas energy future.

JC: That's your Hart Energy LIVE Exclusive with the Clean Resource Innovation Network. To learn more about projects that are up and coming in the energy industry, go to hartenergy.com.

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