Halifax, Nova Scotia — Dalhousie University has announced it is creating a new research and development centre and battery tech Master’s program to help grow Canadian EV expertise.
In a recent press release, Dalhousie disclosed plans to build a new $13.5 million research and development battery prototyping facility to be named the Canadian Battery Innovation Centre (CBIC). The university also plans to launch a new Master of Battery Technology program to begin in the fall of 2025.
Michael Metzger, Jeff Dahn, Chongyin Yang, Mark Obrovac and Lukas Swan—all professors at the university—will establish the Master’s program.
“The broad range of battery topics covered by these researchers and their close ties to the industry make Dalhousie the ideal place to offer this program,” a spokesperson with the university said.
The CBIC centre will be available to academia and industry alike to prototype battery cells.
“Numerous industrial partners have been confirmed as users of the CBIC research infrastructure, including battery industry leaders Tesla and Novonix, energy provider Emera Technologies and start-ups like Salient Energy, Li Metal and Zen E-bikes,” reads a 2023 pre-budget consultation submission to the federal government made by Metzger and originally reviewed by Electric Autonomy.
“[The Canadian Battery Innovation Centre] represents a unique opportunity for Canada to stay at the forefront of a rapidly changing global energy system, train personnel for the domestic energy industry and create battery technology that benefits all Canadians,” reads the project submission.
