Environment committee  For sure. I think that the Canadian Water Agency could play an important role, particularly if its strategy were aligned with technological development needs. The fact that water is also an ecosystem has to be kept in mind. There's more to it than just protecting the ecosystem, and while I'm not saying that doing so isn't important, familiarity with the ecosystem's problems is also essential.

Environment committee  Some cities are interested in the project, but as I said earlier in my address, even though your algorithm and your technology are working, the technological development requires several phases. We can carry out tests and run pilot projects, but to get to the point at which we can market our product and say that we're ready to deploy the technology across Canada, a lot of time and dedication are required.

Environment committee  Perfect. I should point out that Cteau is a type of organization that's called a technology accelerator. We know about the various sources of government funding. Indeed, there is some funding from the federal government and the provincial government, but these funds are often inadequate.

Environment committee  Okay. Clean Nature is a start-up company working on developing artificial intelligence based technologies to optimize de-icing salt dispersal. This road salt is very harmful and affects water quality. my colleagues and I began to work on the idea four years ago. We were three female students who met at university.

Environment committee  I can give you a few more details. We had a lot of support, particularly from organizations like AquaAction. They made it possible for us to launch a pilot project. Getting to that stage involves another barrier, and it's likely very important to give it some thought. Apart from economic considerations, and the time and resources needed to develop the technologies, there are regulatory hurdles.

Environment committee  Hello Mr. Chair and members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you as part of this key study on fresh water. I’m representing Cteau today, a non-profit organization and one of the only technology accelerators specializing in water. I’d like to share my experience as an entrepreneur and co-founder of Clean Nature—a clean tech startup—to shed light on the technological innovation landscape.