The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) and the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) are joining forces with a total investment of $2.88 million to accelerate Quebec's energy transition. The funding will support the new INRS-UQTR Joint Research Unit (UMR) in Materials and Technologies for Energy Transition, aimed at developing more efficient, safer, and sustainable batteries.
Strengthening Research-Industry Ties
The UMR's core mission is to create closer ties between research and industry to accelerate innovation in the energy sector. The announcement was made at UQTR during a press conference attended by Sébastien Charles, UQTR Vice-Rector for Research; Annick Girard, INRS Associate Scientific Director; regional elected officials; and various UMR partners and industry representatives.
Comprehensive Energy Solutions
The research, co-directed by INRS professor François Allard, spans the full spectrum of energy technologies. It is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Quebec's Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie (MEIE) through the Consortium de recherche et d'innovation en transformation métallique (CRITM), and partners such as Hydro-Québec, Mitacs, and Arkema Canada Inc.
The teams are tackling key challenges in lithium extraction and recycling, next-generation battery development, and the integration of these technologies into electrical grids. The goal is to improve system performance, secure critical resources, and reduce environmental impact.
Key Research Projects
Alongside François Allard, two projects are co-led within the UMR by UQTR researchers. Professor Samaneh Shahgaldi, Canada Research Chair in Lignin-Based Fuel Cells and member of UQTR's Hydrogen Research Institute (IRH), brings expertise in polymer materials and electrolytes to develop high-performance all-solid-state lithium-metal batteries. Professor Kodjo Agbossou, Director of UQTR's School of Engineering and holder of the Hydro-Québec Research Chair in Transactional Management of Residential Power and Energy Demand, contributes expertise in integrating electricity production, storage, and management systems to research on solid oxide fuel cells for grid applications.
First Canada Research Chair
The UMR has reached a major milestone with the awarding of its first Canada Research Chair in New Energy Materials to INRS professor Karin Kleiner, a member of the INRS-UQTR UMR. This Tier 2 Chair, granted to emerging researchers poised to become leaders in their field, is funded by NSERC in the amount of $600,000 over five years.
