Chris Huskilson on Thursday evening showcased the recent improvements in the innovation ecosystem supported by Emera, the company he ran for 14 years.

Huskilson, who retired as the CEO of the Halifax-based energy company in March, was the keynote speaker at the reception for the three Atlantic Canadian nominees for the Manning Awards.   They will be considered for the national awards at a gala in Toronto in November. The Manning Awards will present winners with four cash prizes, ranging from the $100,000 Principal Award to $10,000 Innovation Awards.

The regional nominees for the Manning Awards are: Mark Woods, CEO of Ocean Sonics of Great Village; Chris Cowper-Smith, Bob Garrish, and Stephen Fitzgerald of Spring Loaded Technology of Dartmouth; and Scott Everett of Eigen Innovation of Fredericton.

Huskilson’s speech touched on the initiatives he’s been involved in that have strengthened the ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in Halifax and the Atlantic Region.  These include the Regional Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program, or REAP, the Idea Lab at Dalhousie University and the creation of the Ocean Supercluster.

“The Ocean Supercluster will generate $300 million in investment in the next five years,” said Huskilson. “That funding will change the capacity for innovation in the region.”

Huskilson has had a hand in all these initiatives and told the gathering that they are helping to change attitudes and improve the region’s ability to launch and develop new companies.

For example, he was one of the Nova Scotians who participated in REAP, a program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that helps regions improve their startup ecosystems. The result of the REAP team’s work can be seen in the province committing $2.25 million to Volta last December and the development of the Ocean Supercluster.

Under Huskilson’s leadership, Emera also supported such initiatives as the Idea project at Dalhousie University, where engineering students will learn to convert their ideas into businesses. It has also built Halifax’s Discover Centre into its corporate headquarters.

Huskilson, who is also a fellow at the Creative Destruction Lab Atlantic, said all these organizations are changing the environment for business development in the region and helping the evolution of attitudes.

 “Once these changes happen, we’ll have a change in the mindset and a change in the economy and that will make this an even better place to live.”