$25M funding kicks off plans for new advanced materials research facility

Mississauga, ON – A new research centre that will be devoted to the commercialization of smart materials for the medical, automotive, aerospace and defence industries is being jointly established by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC). The new Advanced Materials Manufacturing Centre, to be located on the XRCC campus in the Sheridan Science and Technology Park in Mississauga, is receiving $25 million in funding from NRC.

The new centre 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.

Designed to serve as a catalyst for innovation in advanced materials, the partnership and state-of-the-art facility will 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, particularly aerospace, automotive, medical, and defense.

The goals of the advanced materials campus are intended 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.

“More than four decades ago Xerox made a significant contribution to Canada’s knowledge infrastructure with the establishment of the Xerox Research Center Canada, our global advanced materials research facility,” said Sophie Vandebroek, chief technology officer, Xerox Corporation, and President, Xerox Innovation Group. “By pairing our amazing researchers and laboratory infrastructure with NRC’s, to focus on areas such as the Internet of Everything, a formidable collaboration can emerge that will accelerate innovation – right here in Canada and globally.”

When it is completed, the new facility will accommodate approximately 70 scientific and technical staff. A spokesperson for NRC said the facility is currently in its early planning stages and a timeline for construction and occupancy is not yet available.