Friday, March 21, 2025
Concordia University in Montreal, Que. has launched a world-leading research program known as Volt-age. It will apply novel technologies to create innovative energy sources, secure critical infrastructure and deliver affordable, green energy under diverse conditions in municipalities and communities across Canada.
Volt-age, previously known as Electrifying Society: Towards Decarbonized Resilient Communities, came into being when Concordia received a historic, seven-year Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) grant of $123,160,035.
Representatives and stakeholders from Concordia, government, industry and the not-for-profit sector as well as partner institutions University of Calgary, Toronto Metropolitan University and Dalhousie University gathered for the launch at the Palais des congrès de Montréal on October 11.
Together they are set to chart the course on transformative research activities that will redefine electrification, smart buildings and net-zero communities while helping Canada achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
For Dominique Bérubé, Concordia’s vice-president of research and graduate studies, establishing a strong inclusive governance is the foundation for the future and the success of Volt-age.
“Our vision is anchored in our commitment to create impact in the real world. Between Concordia and our partner institutions, we have the research and expertise in place. Combine this with the ability of industry, government, the not-for-profit sector as well as local and Indigenous communities, and we are ready to make changes that are outcome- and scale-oriented,” she said.
“It was important to leverage our partnerships and hit the ground running. We are already prepared to provide seed funding to several proposals that will support the preparation of larger‐scale initiatives to be funded in 2024.”
Featured image credit: Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash
