$95M science complex coming to Waterloo

Waterloo, ON – A new $95-million science complex is being planned at the University of Waterloo, and it recently received a $24.7 million contribution from the federal government.

The new Science Complex will expand laboratory space at the university by more than 40,000 square feet for research in bio-based chemistry, materials and nanoscience, quantitative biology, metagenomics and synthetic biology.

“Today’s funding is an exciting opportunity for science at Waterloo to expand support for researchers, students and entrepreneurs who will shape the future by pushing our understanding of the world around us,” said Bob Lemieux, dean of the Faculty of Science. “This new facility for scientific teaching and discovery will help ensure that Waterloo continues to fuel world-changing innovation that is underpinned by a fundamental understanding of the world around us.”

The new teaching spaces will feature more undergraduate laboratories offering students enhanced access to hands-on experiences in student research and innovation allowing Waterloo to expand access to high-demand co-op stream programs. Additional student laboratory space will foster the development of a new generation of science-based startups and entrepreneurs with an expansion of the Velocity Science program.

Velocity Science provides students interested in a life- or materials-science startup with the right tools and resources to initiate and develop world-class science companies. To date, more than 20 companies have emerged from Velocity Science including Suncayr, whose innovative nanotechnology marker signals users when it’s time to reapply sunscreen, and Medella Health, a start-up that is developing the next generation of contact lens wearable technology to help patients better manage their diabetes.