Agreement signed for CANMET-MTL relocation
[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/CANMET1.jpg” caption=”Construction of the CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory is scheduled to begin in Fall 2008.”]Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and McMaster University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines further details for the relocation of the CANMET Materials Technology Laboratory (MTL) to Hamilton.
Together, NRCan and McMaster will establish a world-class research facility at McMaster Innovation Park that will build synergies between the work being done by government, industry and academia.
“This is an important agreement that outlines the critical components of CANMET-MTL's move to Hamilton,”s aid the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. “It describes how we will work collaboratively on the construction of a new state-of-the-art research facility, the sharing of scientific equipment and the establishment of a national cooperative research effort on materials and manufacturing.”
McMaster president Peter George added, “This agreement clarifies the objectives and scope of the initiative and articulates CANMET-MTL's mission at McMaster Innovation Park. This partnership will stimulate the development of a regional cluster of expertise and will be a turning point for Canadian manufacturing research.”
As part of the agreement, the following estimated timelines have been identified:
The goal of the partnership is to improve the economic and environmental performance of Canada's minerals and metals manufacturing sector.
Under the MOU, NRCan and McMaster will create a national user facility for materials and manufacturing research and development activities, and for the training of highly qualified personnel. Access to the national facility will be governed by a future research agreement that will be open to leading universities and research organizations across the country. NRCan will retain full governance, responsibility and accountability for CANMET-MTL.
CANMET-MTL is the nation's leading structural materials research facility, supporting excellence and innovation in the Canadian economy. Its relocation to Hamilton, which is home to the country's leading materials and manufacturing university, puts it in the centre of Canada's automotive, steel and other metal manufacturing industries and universities. This cluster of expertise will strengthen Canada's competitiveness in materials research and development.
This initiative advances the Government of Canada's support for scientific research and technological innovation. It will increase the quality of applied science and the pace of commercialization of materials, providing significant benefits to the economy and the well-being of Canadians.
