AquaAction, a Canadian non-profit organisation developing high-tech sustainable water solutions, announced the launch of its new headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. The new site will be located at Bedrock’s Urban Tech Xchange, a tech research and development lab.
The news was unveiled at the SelectUSA Investment Summit, the US annual foreign direct investment (FDI) conference. The announcement was attended by recently appointed US Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, AquaAction President Soula Chronopoulos, local leaders from Detroit and representatives from the Department of Commerce.
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Aside from the US investment announcement, it was also a display of goodwill between Canadian and American stakeholders, amid heightened tensions with the US’s historically closest trade partner. Soon after US President Donald Trump took office, he imposed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico (which were later mostly removed). That first action set off months of following tariffs on other countries, reprieves, and threats that have spurred an unprecedented level of uncertainty in the global economy.
US President Donald Trump has also made multiple comments about making Canada the 51st US state. Recently elected Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, was largely seen as the anti-Trump candidate during his campaign.
AquaAction estimates that its US expansion will generate over C$1m ($715,000) in capital investments and create hundreds of new jobs. The Canadian non-profit hosted the first Great Lakes AquaHacking Challenge with Northwestern Michigan College last year, where American and Canadian water-tech innovators competed for seed funding. AquaAction says it has helped over 100 water-tech firms generate over C$200m ($143m) in annual revenue.
Canada and Michigan share access to the Great Lakes, which speakers highlighted as a crucial to their partnership. Soula and Hoekstra noted that the US government declared water scarcity as a national security threat last year under former President Joe Biden. Despite the Trump’s administration climate change denial, they have not changed this status.
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By GlobalData“In Michigan, we are proud to be home to 20 per cent of the world’s fresh surface water. No matter where you are in Michigan, you are no more than six miles away from a body of fresh water,” Whitmer said. At a later panel with three bipartisan governors, she also acknowledged that trade uncertainty is creating “a lot of stress in industries all across our economies.”
Hoekstra discussed the recent meeting between Carney and Trump, saying it was “very positive” and “reflective of the relationship we have between the US and Canada, we are longtime partners, and friends.” He added that this investment would have “national implications,” as the new headquarters would allow AquaAction to work all across the US.
“Nothing better than seeing more Canadian investment coming into the US and reflecting the awesome relationship we have between our two countries,” he added.
Following the announcement, Hoekstra took questions from reporters, including Investment Monitor, mainly on the Trump administration’s relationship with Canada.
“If the issue [of Canada becoming the 51st state] comes up again, it will be because [Prime Minister Carney] or [President Trump] bring it up,” as it was clear from their recent meeting that they are both focused on “delivering results for their citizens.”
When questioned about what he would say to Canadians boycotting American goods, he said that was their decision to make.
“America is not asking Americans to boycott Canadian products. My opinion is, you don’t treat your friends, it’s kind of like…” Hoekstra stopped answering the question at that point and his aide concluded the press conference.
