Across the country, universities are at the forefront of innovation, conducting advanced research and training tomorrow’s leaders in critical fields. The Government of Canada is committed to maintaining national leadership in clean energy and sustainable technologies, which is why it is investing in forward-thinking initiatives supporting cutting-edge research and training the next generation of highly skilled workers. qualified.
On October 18, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, announced that Concordia University would establish a thematic campus in Shawinigan, Quebec, focused on the energy transition . This campus will be the location for research into clean energies, the adoption of which is essential to fight climate change and build a sustainable future. This project is part of Concordia University’s “Volt-Age: innovation fulfills its objective” initiative, which received $123 million in support from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund in 2022. (Apogée fund), endowed with 1.4 billion dollars. The Apogee Fund supports world-class research activities at universities and colleges across the country.
The campus will become a place of collaboration between Concordia University, the City of Shawinigan and the National Center for Electrochemistry and Environmental Technologies, part of the broader initiatives of the federal government aimed at meeting fundamental challenges in the storage of energy, electrification of transport and sustainable innovation.
This investment illustrates the importance of combining academic research and partnerships at the local and international levels to generate concrete socio-economic benefits for Canadians, while placing the country at the forefront of research on clean energy.
In support of this new initiative, the National Research Council Canada signed a memorandum of understanding with Concordia University on October 18 to advance Canadian research on materials used in batteries and fill gaps in the processing and manufacturing of next generation batteries.
“Investments in clean energy research will be instrumental in solidifying Canada’s future place as a global leader in sustainability. This new campus focused on the energy transition located in Shawinigan will be a place where researchers will carry out cutting-edge work to support the fight against climate change. It will play an essential role in training the next generation of innovators who will help us achieve our ambitious climate goals. »
– The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honorable François-Philippe Champagne
“When we invest in the potential of our researchers, we invest in the communities of tomorrow – communities that will be greener, more sustainable and healthier. The Canada First Research Excellence Fund empowers our researchers to improve their skills to help communities develop. What we are unveiling today is a campus focused on clean energy that will be connected to rich networks in terms of research and innovation. »
– The Chair of the Steering Committee of the Interagency Programs for Institutions Secretariat and President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Mr. Ted Hewitt
“The National Research Council Canada is committed to working with partners across the country to advance technologies that can advance our economy and mitigate the effects of climate change. Given our complementary expertise in research on materials used in battery manufacturing, we and Concordia University have signed a memorandum of understanding to address the challenges of the innovation ecosystem in the field batteries and give Canada a better competitive advantage in the clean energy sector. »
– National Research Council Canada President Mitch Davies
“The establishment of our thematic campus on energy transition in Shawinigan demonstrates the sense of history and highlights a city that has always been a pioneer in hydroelectricity and lithium batteries. »
– The CEO of the Volt-Age research program at Concordia University, Mr. Karim Zaghib
- Since 2016, and including initiatives proposed in Budget 2024, the federal government has invested more than $22 billion in support of science and research, including projects focused on infrastructure and talent emerging countries, as well as other support measures in science and technology.
- The Canada First Research Excellence Fund (Crimson Fund) was established in 2014 to support the work that Canadian post-secondary institutions are doing to become world leaders in research. The Pinnacle Fund helps Canada’s universities, colleges and polytechnics compete with the best institutions in the world for recruiting talent and forming partnerships. It supports them so that they can achieve major scientific breakthroughs, take advantage of new opportunities, strategically position their greatest assets on the global stage and implement, on a large scale, transformative and avant-garde institutional strategies.
- The Apogee Fund invests approximately $200 million per year to help competitively selected post-secondary institutions translate their greatest strengths into world-class skills.
- Initiatives funded by the Apogee Fund are selected following an independent, multidisciplinary, competitive and international peer review process, held every seven years.
- The Pinnacle Fund is an interagency program managed by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Science Research Council Natural Resources and Engineering of Canada, and SSHRC.
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