NRC opens advanced materials research facility in Mississauga

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) announced the opening of an advanced materials research facility to serve as a national clean energy hub, supporting and undertaking research of new materials for clean energy and other applications.

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, to 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.

The NRC Mississauga research facility will be part of the Canadian Campus for Advanced Materials Manufacturing (CCAMM), a joint initiative between the NRC and the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC). It 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 areas of focus 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 also house the core R&D activities of the NRC’s Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge, a 7-year, $57 million collaborative research program that will focus on the discovery and development of materials to help decarbonize Canada’s oil and gas and petrochemical sectors.

“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.”

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.
https://nrc.canada.ca