Launch of Concordia University’s Shawinigan campus, dedicated to the energy transition

 

 

 

Launch of Concordia University’s French-language campus in Shawinigan dedicated to the energy transition and signing of a memorandum of understanding between NRC and Concordia University – in the presence of the Honourable François Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development.

SHAWINIGAN, October 18, 2024 – Concordia University and its Volt-Age research program on the electrification of society, the City of Shawinigan and the Centre national en électrochimie et en technologies environnementales (CNETE), a college center for technology transfer (CCTT) affiliated with the Cégep de Shawinigan, are proud to announce the first steps in the establishment, starting this fall, of Concordia University’s thematic campus in Shawinigan dedicated to the energy transition.

The project, which is part of a continuum that testifies to the shared commitment of the region’s research institutions and major industrial players, is progressing in line with the forecasts made when it was announced last year.

The campus launch was also an opportunity to sign a memorandum of understanding between Concordia University and the National Research Council of Canada, which will ultimately strengthen the electrification research ecosystem on the Shawinigan campus.

“It’s a great moment for us today, an old dream come true, to be able to say: ‘Shawinigan, university town’. In a way, it’s a return to our deep roots in research. Innovation is part of who we are: the first aluminum ingot was cast here, cellophane paper was invented here, and I’m convinced that great things will come out of these laboratories to accelerate the energy transition,” Michel Angers, Mayor of Shawinigan.

 

“CNETE and Cégep de Shawinigan are extremely proud to join forces with Concordia University to build what will be a center of excellence in battery-related processes and materials, essential to the energy transition. Its cutting-edge expertise will enable the implementation of both fundamental and applied research, as well as technology transfer and training. This unique example of integration between college and university research and development capabilities, coupled with the booming ecosystem of Shawinigan and the Energy Transition Valley, will be a gas pedal that will give full value to Quebec’s natural wealth and know-how,” adds Nancy Déziel, Managing Director of CNETE.

 

“The history of battery research was largely written in Shawinigan. This campus is a testament to our history, and will become one of the cornerstones of the future of energy transition research to secure the future of the Quebec and Canadian economies. We are committed to continuity,” concluded Volt-Age CEO Karim Zaghib.

 

“This partnership demonstrates Concordia’s unwavering commitment to research and innovation related to sustainable development,” says Graham Carr, Concordia’s President and Vice-Chancellor. Our collaboration with the NRC, the City of Shawinigan and the Cégep de Shawinigan’s Centre national en électrochimie et en technologies environnementales (CNETE) will help make Quebec and Canada leaders in clean energy and help meet the global challenges posed by climate change.”

Key points of the project :

• Seed funding of $3 million has been granted by the Volt-Age program over a three-year period. This fund will be used to set up a research team consisting of a general manager, researchers, technicians and students.

 

• A total budget of $27 million, to be financed through various federal and provincial mechanisms.

 

• A general manager has been appointed to ensure the operational and strategic management of the campus. Its mission will be to steer the development of the campus’ research, innovation and training activities, in collaboration with CNETE’s research program.

 

• CNETE will host the campus in the first phase of deployment. The center, which is already very active in themes linked to the energy transition, particularly with regard to the battery industry, will also contribute in a second phase to the expansion of joint activities by setting up the future Innovation Center for batteries and the electrification of transport, which will bring together these thematic activities.

• A French-language campus opened by an English-language university: Concordia University is proud to announce that the Shawinigan thematic campus will be the first French-language campus opened by an English-language university in Quebec. This reflects Concordia’s commitment to the promotion of the French language, including in the scientific and technical sphere, and its deep roots in Quebec society.

• An innovative model that brings together a city, a CCTT, a university and industry to cover the entire scale of technological maturity levels (NMT), from laboratory to market. This innovative partnership model covers all development activities in the sectors concerned, with universities laying the scientific foundations and providing proof of concept (NMT 1-3), CCTTs helping to develop technologies in cooperation with industry (NMT 3-6), and industry taking charge of commercialization (NMT 6-9).

 

• A dynamic regional ecosystem: the City’s role as a hub within the Energy Transition Valley Innovation Zone will be essential in fostering the development and dynamism of the entire ecosystem. The Cégep de Shawinigan, which recently launched micro-training courses in the battery sector, will also be helping to provide the regional ecosystem with a skilled workforce in these specialties.

• Industrial partners who support the creation of the campus and are ready to work with us, first and foremost TES Canada, which is developing one of the largest wind turbine and energy storage projects in Quebec.

 

Source :

Nicolas Viau

Corporate Communications Officer