CREATE LES Industry Tour 2025: Connecting Academic Learning with Nova Scotia’s Clean Energy Sector
To conclude the Fall 2025 Term, CREATE LES trainees participated in a two-day Industry Tour across Nova Scotia, designed to deepen their understanding of the province’s evolving clean energy and sustainable industry landscape. The tour included visits to EverWind, the Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment, and Port Hawkesbury Paper, offering trainees a firsthand look at how sustainability-focused innovation is being applied across different sectors.
The experience provided an important bridge between academic research and real-world application. At EverWind, trainees gained insight into large-scale clean energy development, learning about the planning, infrastructure, and collaboration required to advance renewable energy projects at an industrial level. Discussions highlighted both the opportunities and challenges involved in transitioning to sustainable energy systems, emphasizing the role of policy, partnerships, and long-term investment.
The visit to the Verschuren Centre exposed trainees to the research and commercialization side of sustainability. Students learned how applied research moves from the lab to industry, supporting innovation in clean technologies and sustainable processes. This stop reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge transfer in accelerating the adoption of clean energy solutions.
At Port Hawkesbury Paper, trainees explored how sustainability is integrated into day-to-day industrial operations. The tour provided a practical understanding of how established industries are adapting their processes to improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and remain competitive while prioritizing sustainability goals. Seeing these strategies implemented at scale offered valuable context for understanding the operational realities of sustainable industry.
Across all three visits, trainees had the opportunity to engage directly with professionals working in the clean energy and sustainability space, ask questions, and gain insights into a variety of career paths. These conversations helped broaden students’ perspectives on how their academic training can translate into meaningful contributions within industry, research, and policy.
CREATE LES is grateful to EverWind, the Verschuren Centre, and Port Hawkesbury Paper for welcoming our trainees and generously sharing their time and expertise. Experiences like this Industry Tour play a key role in preparing our students to become informed, capable leaders in the clean energy sector, equipped with a deeper understanding of the energy systems and industries shaping Nova Scotia’s future.
