Action Areas

Many jurisdictions have developed strategies and roadmaps with specific focus areas, goals and actions aimed at meeting their sectoral and national objectives. This includes identifying key priorities for the industry grounded in an understanding of the market conditions for success. While Canada has strengths in certain areas, an industrial roadmap broadly supported by provincial and federal governments is needed to ensure proper planning and execution. Components of the roadmap will include strategies targeting specific segments of the supply chain (e.g., battery strategy, electric vehicle manufacturing strategy, critical minerals strategy). Overall, the roadmap will allow the Canadian industry to identify critical actions and policies needed to develop the most strategic segments of the supply chain and enhance competitiveness. Ultimately, the roadmap will take into consideration the integrated nature of the North American market and Canada’s position and role within it.

Other jurisdictions have mainly focused on developing a battery strategy. While batteries are an important segment of the emerging zero emission vehicle value chain, an integrated comprehensive roadmap that connects various segments of the supply chain will help place Canada ahead of the curve by allowing it to seize more opportunities.

Examples of other strategies/initiatives in other jurisdictions include:

• European Battery Alliance Strategic Action
• Western Australia Battery Strategy
• Sweden’s Sustainable Battery Value Chain Strategy
• Finland’s National Battery Strategy 2025
• Germany Green Stimulus with a focus on EV industry and its supply chain
• French Covid-19 Stimulus Focused on Domestic EV Production

Establishing a Canada-wide ZEV supply chain is going to take significant and coordinated actions from both provincial and federal governments. Accelerate will work to identify key policy actions needed to support the development of a robust supply chain. This can include recommendations related to the framework, trade policies, as well as financial instruments (e.g. Dedicated Strategic Innovation Fund Stream). These policies will help fill any gaps in the market and position Canada competitively in the global marketplace.

Examples of policy instruments implemented globally include:

• Pan European research and Innovation project along the entire battery value chain
• European Investment Bank fund to the Battery Alliance
• Creation of “battery passports” in Europe to ensure responsible mineral sourcing
• Incentives packages for foreign direct investment attraction (e.g. Europe, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan)

In addition, Accelerate will create as part of its structure a forum for intergovernmental collaboration and coordination which will include provincial, territorial and federal governments.

Given the interconnection of the supply chain segments, coordination and collaboration between key players is necessary to ensure Canada remains globally competitive. Accelerate remove silos and facilitate collaboration between key industry players, financial sectors, NGOs, colleges/universities, as well as academic/public researchers.

For example, securing an investment for a large-scale battery manufacturing facility will require partnerships both upstream (raw materials and active materials) and downstream (agreement with automakers). Accelerate will serve as a forum to help establish a network of connected stakeholders from across the country and across the supply chain. This will be especially important for industries that do not have established relationships.

For members, one of the key values of joining Accelerate is the potential to develop and strengthen relationships with key players across the ZEV supply chain, enabling them to capture new opportunities and develop greater working relationships with other players.

In collaboration with relevant government agencies, Accelerate will develop an investment attraction strategy to promote Canada for domestic and foreign investments in the ZEV industry. This includes understanding the current competitive landscape in other jurisdictions, dispelling misconceptions about Canada, and highlighting Canada’s advantages (e.g. raw materials, clean electricity, skills and talent, trade agreements, etc.).

Accelerate will also coordinate with economic development agencies at both federal, provincial, and city levels (e.g. Invest in Canada, Investissement Québec). Other collaborative initiatives can be explored such as a Business Investment Platform, which aims to accelerate transactions between investors and investees.

As part of its communication efforts to ensure broad buy-in of a ZEV supply chain with the public, policy makers and industry players, Accelerate will assess the associated economic benefits and communicate that to the public using a variety of outreach methods. Securing a place in the global value chain of zero emission vehicles will ensure Canada retains its place as a major automotive manufacturer and will have a lasting impact on the economy and the lives of many Canadians.

In addition, Canada can leverage its advantages in the emerging battery industry to grow its value-added manufacturing activities. While the conversation has evolved significantly, there is still a general lack of awareness of the magnitude of the economic opportunity. Ensuring buy-in from a broad base of stakeholders will help with the implementation of strategies and public policy.

It is critical to align current talent development with the future needs of the emerging ZEV supply chain. Coordination between the industry and training institutions is often promoted by competing jurisdictions that are successfully attracting automotive investments (e.g. Alabama, Tennessee). Accelerate will create a forum for collaboration and coordination between colleges, universities and industry. This will help universities/colleges develop their curricula in line with the needs of the industry, which benefits both prospective workers and employers.