Mississauga welcomes new research facility that will create approximately 100 jobs

 

Mississauga recently announced that a brand new research facility will create approximately 100 new jobs in the city in the not-too-distant future. 

On Nov. 16, the city announced that the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) has opened a new advanced materials research facility in Mississauga. The city says the new facility will serve as a national clean energy hub supporting research into new materials for industrial development and commercialization.

"We are thrilled that NRC chose Mississauga to locate its new regional advanced materials research hub. Mississauga is home to one of Canada's largest, most diverse advanced manufacturing sectors," said Mayor Bonnie Crombie in a statement. 

"NRC Mississauga will become a key innovation asset in our City and will bring together industrial and academic partners to develop products, devices and systems that will create jobs and help Canada reach its sustainability goals. The City looks forward to working with and supporting the NRC and its key stakeholders as they conduct world-class, innovative research right here in Mississauga."

According to the city, the facility will “support and undertake foundational research of new clean energy materials and transition them for industrial use.” It will act as a regional innovation hub for clean technologies and 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) that is adjacent to NRC Mississauga.

On Nov. 16, the NRC also announced the Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge program will be housed at the research facility. The company says the seven-year, $57 million collaborative research program focusses on the development of new materials to be used in the production of clean and sustainable energy.

As far as jobs go, a company spokesperson says that when research operations begin in mid-2021, the facility will host a team of about 15 researchers and support staff, with space for about 20 additional guests and visiting workers at any one time. 

The fully completed facility will house roughly 100 researchers and support staff from the NRC, as well as a broad range of collaborators and partners in relevant fields from around the world.

"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," said Roger Scott-Douglas PhD, Acting President, National Research Council of Canada, in a statement. 

"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."

The company says its 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 company said in a news release.