At a virtual ceremony today, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) opened a new advanced materials research facility to serve as a national clean energy hub, supporting and undertaking foundational research of new materials for clean energy and other applications and transitioning them to industrial use.

“The Government of Canada is committed to supporting innovative partnerships that will cement Canada as a world innovation leader. This facility will enable the kinds of collaborations and research that will help accelerate advancements and commercialization in the areas of clean energy and smart materials, ensuring continued long-term Canadian strength in this globally disruptive technology area.”

– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry

“The opening of our new facility in Mississauga represents a major stepping stone 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 industry to be more sustainable. We look forward to working with our partners in accelerating the development of advanced materials technologies and their commercialization into disruptive products for industry.”

– Roger Scott-Douglas PhD, Acting President, National Research Council of Canada

“We are thrilled that the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) chose Mississauga to locate its new regional advanced materials research facility and shows the strength and diversity of our City’s advanced manufacturing sector. 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.”

– Bonnie Crombie, Mayor of Mississauga

“Together with the National Research Council of Canada, Xerox is proud to be a co-founder of the Canadian Campus for Advanced Materials Manufacturing, a high-tech campus designed to accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced materials technologies for clean tech and advanced manufacturing. Combining the world-class expertise, facilities and resources of 2 research and innovation powerhouses – a Xerox global research centre and the NRC-CCAMM – will accelerate commercialization of research outcomes in Canada and globally.”

– Paul Smith, Vice President, Xerox Research

“The University of Toronto looks forward to collaborating with the NRC to accelerate the work of U of T’s researchers and training students to achieve new discoveries and apply them to further reduce the environmental impact of the electricity that powers the businesses, homes and vehicles of Canadians and people around the world.”

– Derek Newton, Assistant Vice-President, Innovation, Partnerships and Entrepreneurship, University of Toronto

• The NRC Mississauga research facility will focus on technologies for accelerating discovery and innovation in new materials, most prominently AI-driven robotics experimental platforms termed “Material Acceleration Platforms” or self-driven labs. The initial focal areas of application will include materials enabling the conversion of carbon dioxide to fuels and other high-value industrial products, multi-functional powders and nanomaterials; and advanced metamaterials and devices for consumer, automotive, aerospace and biomedical applications.

• The facility will house the operations and core R&D activities of the NRC’s Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge program, which is collaborating with leaders in academia and industry to catalyze the discovery and development of materials for early-stage exploratory technologies to decarbonize Canada's oil and gas and petrochemical sectors.

• The NRC’s new advanced materials research facility will also house a number of university collaborations, including:

  • the NRC-University of Toronto Collaboration Centre for Green Energy Materials, which will lead to discoveries and advances that will result in publications, patents, and the commercialization of technology, as well as provide training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
  • equipment and students from the University of Waterloo in support of a collaboration in materials and processes for additive manufacturing.

• When research operations begin in mid-2021, the facility initially will host a team of about 15 researchers and support staff, with space for about 20 additional guest and visiting workers at any one time. The fully completed facility will house roughly 100 researchers and support staff from the NRC, and a broad range of collaborators and partners from academia, other government departments and industry, from Canada and around the world.

• The advanced materials research facility consists of 21,500 square feet of laboratories, office space and meeting rooms on its first floor with a shelled-in second floor, ready to be outfitted. The 2-floor building will be expanded as part of Phase 2. A third floor will be added to accommodate collaborative work with other government departments and is anticipated to be completed in mid-2022.

Related products
NRC Mississauga Infosheet
NRC Mississauga facility webpage
Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge program webpage

Associated links
Collaboration Centre for Green Energy Materials between the NRC and University of Toronto

Contacts
Media Relations
National Research Council of Canada
613-991-1431
1-855-282-1637
media@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

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