First new industrial tenant moves into Innovation Park

The Innovation Park at Queen’s University has signed on its first new industrial tenant, only days after the research and technology park opened its doors for business.

In its new home, ACUMENTRICS Canada Ltd. (Acumentrics Canada), a developer of solid oxide fuel cell systems (SOFCs), will now be working side-by-side with Canada’s premier fuel cell research organization, the Fuel Cell Research Centre (FCRC), an initiative led by Queen’s University and the Royal Military College (RMC).

“Acumentrics Canada was attracted to Innovation Park at Queen’s University by the potential to strengthen its interaction and collaborations with leading edge researchers,” says Gary Allen, Acumentrics’ Director of Sales. “The site offers us the benefits of co-location with some of Canada’s top fuel cell researchers and access to a variety of shared resources including infrastructure critical to fulfilling our research, development and commercialization objectives. We are delighted to join Innovation Park and look forward to building our business here.”

Acumentrics Canada was recently selected by the Ontario Centres of Excellence to demonstrate a 50kW SOFC as part of a $6 million project, which includes research collaborations with several Ontario Universities, including FCRC. The planned installation at the University of Toronto at Mississauga’s Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre will demonstrate an SOFC cogeneration system that will provide low-cost, efficient, environmentally-friendly power and heating all in one package.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Acumentrics Canada Ltd. to Innovation Park,” says Dr. Tom Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University. “Working in partnership with academic researchers, the federal government and the provincial government, Acumentrics is a perfect first industrial client to the Park. We are confident that the interactions that result from co-location will accelerate the advancement and commercialization of fuel cell technology. This is a first important step in pursuing the University’s vision for the Park and I am delighted to see the concept originally championed by my predecessor, Principal Karen Hitchcock, moving forward so well. All of us at Queen’s look forward to the development of Innovation Park as a major link between the University, industry, city and region.”

Fuel cells, which require minimal ongoing maintenance and emit negligible levels of pollutants, are playing an important role in transforming Ontario’s energy sector and helping to position the province as a world leader in clean energy.

Acumentrics’ patented tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) design offers efficiency and operational advantages over competing fuel cell and power solutions for commercial, industrial, residential, and communications uses.

Dr. Kerry Rowe, Queen’s Vice-Principal (Research), cites the fuel cell expertise of Innovation Park’s anchor academic tenant, FCRC, as a significant factor in the decision by Acumentrics Canada to make the Park its future home. “We anticipate establishing several distinct areas of research expertise at Innovation Park which will create compelling reasons for a variety of industry and government partners to co-locate with us.”

With a strategic research focus on energy and the environment, Queen’s provides national and international R&D leadership in alternative energy technologies including fuel cells, solar thermal energy, and bioenergy, as well as leadership in reducing the environmental footprint associated with traditional energy technologies. Combined with the strength of energy and environment platforms established by RMC and St. Lawrence College, Innovation Park is well poised to strengthen the emerging energy and environment technology cluster in the Kingston region.