Mississauga, Ontario — The National Research Council of Canada (NRC), opened a new advanced material research facility in Mississauga, to serve as a national clean energy hub.
NRC Mississauga research facility will be focusing on the technologies for accelerating discovery and innovation in new materials, most prominently Al-driven robotics experimental platforms termed ‘Material Acceleration Platforms,’ or self-driven labs.
“The opening of our new facility in Mississauga represents a major steppingstone for the National Research Council of Canada in advancing Canada’s clean energy agenda. Our vision is for this collaborative hub to become the home to new technologies that will enable the industry to be more sustainable,” said Roger Scott-Douglas Ph.D., acting president for the National Research Council of Canada, in a press release Monday.
“We look forward to working with our partners in accelerating the development of advanced materials technologies and their commercialization into disruptive products for industry.”
Research operations are expected to begin in mid-2021 and will initially host a team of about 15 researchers and support staff, with space for about 20 additional guests and visiting workers at one time, but when completed, the facility will house roughly 100 support staff.
The new facility is expected to support and undertake foundational research of new materials for clean energy and transition them to industrial use. The goal of the facility is to bring together companies, government, and universities to collaborate on breakthrough projects in clean technologies and advanced materials.
The initial focus areas of application will include materials enabling the conversation of carbon dioxide to fuels and other high0value industrial products, multi-factional powders and nanomaterials’ and advanced materials and devices for consumer, automotive, aerospace, and biomedical applications.
The clean energy hub will be part of the Canadian Campus for Advanced Materials Manufacturing (CCAMM), a joint intuitive between NRC and Xerox Research Centre of Canada (ERCC). This initiative is expected to establish a suite of accessible platform technologies for substantially accelerating the rate of discovery of new materials for a range of applications, including clean energy and additive manufacturing.
“We are thrilled that the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) chose Mississauga to locate its new regional advanced materials research facility, and this shows the strength and diversity of our city’s advanced manufacturing sector,” said Bonnie Crombie, mayor of Mississauga, in a press release Monday.
“NRC Mississauga will become a key innovation asset in our city that will bring together regional and national industrial partners to develop products, devices, and systems that will create jobs and help grow Canada’s economy. The city looks forward to working with and supporting the NRC and its key stakeholders as they conduct world-class and innovative research right here in Mississauga.”
