Building world-class scientific infrastructure to advance Canadian science and innovation

MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 16, 2024 /CNW/ - Through the Laboratories Canada strategy, the Government of Canada is providing federal scientists and researchers with world-class, sustainable and collaborative facilities to support the transformative changes facing science today and into the future. 

Today, Charles Sousa, Member of Parliament for Mississauga–Lakeshore and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement announced the completion of the newly expanded TerraCanada advanced materials research facility in Mississauga, Ontario. Completed in April 2024, the expanded facility is the result of a $77-million investment in science infrastructure. The construction of this new facility involved up to 100 workers on-site daily, generating local economic benefits.

The TerraCanada advanced materials research facility consists of 2 new floors that add more than 6,000 square metres of laboratory and supporting spaces to the existing National Research Council of Canada (NRC) building. This facility brings together scientists from the NRC and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to collaborate with federal scientists working at the complementary TerraCanada Hamilton facility located at the NRCan CanmetMATERIALS building, along with academic partners at Canadian universities and industry collaborators.

The TerraCanada facilities in Mississauga and Hamilton will use materials acceleration platforms (MAPs) to make the process of discovering and developing materials faster and more efficient, cost-effective, accurate and precise by leveraging artificial intelligence, robotics and high-performance computing. New materials are critical for creating the clean technologies needed to help Canada in meeting its emission reduction targets and growing its clean energy and manufacturing sectors.

The research carried out at the Mississauga and Hamilton facilities contributes to the objectives of the TerraCanada science hub, including: 

• developing the economic potential of Canada's land and resources in a sustainable manner
• supporting Canada's transition to a low-carbon economy
• mitigating the impacts of natural and human-made hazards on the safety and health of Canadians

The Mississauga facility provides modern, sustainable and accessible laboratories and office spaces for around 100 scientists, research partners and administrative staff. By investing in leading-edge science infrastructure, the Laboratories Canada strategy will attract and retain global talent and promote opportunities for diverse researchers and students, strengthening the Canadian research landscape for generations to come.

"It is essential that our scientists have access to cutting-edge, modern resources and infrastructure to conduct the research needed to keep pace with Canadian society's evolving needs. Sustainable, collaborative facilities, such as these in Mississauga and Hamilton, are the way of the future for federal science."

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Public Services and Procurement

"Ensuring our scientists have the right tools and spaces is key to Canada's leadership in clean energy research. Through the Laboratories Canada strategy, we're bringing together government and academic researchers, boosting collaboration, and making Canada's research scene more competitive. Facilities like the TerraCanada space unveiled today showcase this federal government's commitment to sustainable development projects that support Canada's transition to a low-carbon economy."

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources 

"Today's completion of the TerraCanada facility in Mississauga marks a pivotal moment in Canada's innovation journey. With cutting-edge infrastructure and collaborative spaces, we're empowering our scientists to drive transformative change in materials research. This investment not only accelerates scientific discovery but also propels our transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy, ensuring a brighter future for all Canadians."

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

"The opening of this new laboratory in Mississauga reaffirms Canada's position as a leader in science and innovation, while growing the local economy. This modern facility, featuring unparalleled opportunities for collaboration and research excellence, will help attract and retain global talent to our region."

Charles Sousa
Member of Parliament for Mississauga–Lakeshore and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement

"The TerraCanada lab space at the National Research Council of Canada's advanced materials research facility in Mississauga fosters the kind of collaboration across business, academia and government that positions us to seize opportunities in the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and high-throughput experimentation for the development of next-generation clean energy materials."

Mitch Davies
President of the National Research Council of Canada

• Laboratories Canada is a long-term strategy that delivers on the vision to strengthen federal science in Canada. The strategy includes the development of science hubs across the country. These hubs will bring together science-based departments and agencies to advance research in science priority areas in modern, sustainable and accessible laboratories and collaborative spaces enabled by modern digital information technology.
• Budget 2018 launched this strategy with an initial investment of $2.8 billion, and Budget 2024 invested a further $900 million, making the total investment to date $3.7 billion, all to support federal scientists in the important work that they do for Canada.
• The Mississauga and Hamilton facilities will support the collaborative development of advanced materials through the utilization of MAPs, a new approach to materials and process optimization. These advanced materials are key to developing the clean technologies needed to help Canada meet its emission reduction targets and grow its clean energy and manufacturing sectors.
• The expanded Mississauga facility demonstrates the government's commitment to the environment and climate resiliency as the building achieved net-zero carbon emissions, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold plus certification. The facility features sustainability measures as well, including electric vehicle charging ports, light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, and site-generated renewable energy through a geothermal exchange heat pump plant and solar cells.

• Laboratories Canada
• Canada's Long Term Vision and Plan: Laboratories Canada
• TerraCanada Science and Innovation
• Government of Canada invests in laboratories to support science and research in Canada

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SOURCE Public Services and Procurement Canada