On 24 November 2014, the Prime Minister announced $5.8 billion for investments in infrastructure projects across the country. Included in this announcement was funding for the modernization of federal laboratories and research centres.
The Government of Canada announces that it is collaborating with Xerox regarding a $25 million investment for the construction of a state-of-the-art advanced materials research facility that will help enable Canadian industry leadership, while creating new opportunities for advanced materials applications in emerging market verticals.
Manufacturing is a critical sector in Canada, employing approximately 1.7 million Canadians. Companies that adopt advanced manufacturing technologies and processes have a significant advantage to deliver high value-added activities and products.
The new research laboratory facility would be co-located on the campus of the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC), a division of Xerox Canada Inc.
Facilitated by the location of the new construction, the collaboration would, among other initiatives, support a research collaboration between the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC), a recognized industry leader in advanced materials R&D and manufacturing. It will provide NRC with access to XRCC’s world-class team of scientists and engineers with broad expertise in materials chemistry, formulation design, prototyping, testing, and chemical process engineering. This competency base is critical for the future of printed electronics, smart objects, devices, sensors and for materials related to advanced manufacturing.
The new advanced materials research facility will provide Canadian industry access to the necessary leading-edge infrastructure to bolster materials development and close the gap that exists in commercializing research outcomes, giving them a competitive edge in the global marketplace.
Designed to serve as a catalyst for innovation in advanced materials, the partnership and state-of-the-art facility would provide world-class expertise and infrastructure to both private and public sector researchers for the development and integration of novel, smart materials for a wide range of products across industries, such as aerospace, automotive, medical, and defense.
The goals of the advanced materials campus now being negotiated are to:
- bridge the gaps between laboratory demonstration and industry-scale manufacturing;
- create a hub for materials manufacturing and integration in Canada through relationships with other existing R&D centres; and
- attract new talent in advanced materials R&D to build a skilled workforce that supports next-generation Canadian manufacturing.
The new facility would be located on the XRCC campus in the Sheridan Science and Technology Park in Mississauga, Ontario and would accommodate approximately 70 scientific and technical staff.
Media Relations Team
National Research Council of Canada
613-991-1431
1-855-282-1637 (24/7)
media@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
