National Research Council Canada's 2023-24 Departmental results report

Results achieved

Digital technologies to advance research in priority areas for Canada

The NRC's innovative use of digital tools is helping shape the future of critical industries, and bolster national strategies and technological capabilities.

In 2023-24, the NRC worked with innovative organizations to explore practical applications of AI (artificial intelligence) and other digital technologies:

• The NRC partnered with British Columbia (B.C.) Ferries and Simon Fraser University on a project using AI techniques to analyze 3 years of ship data, and developed a model to predict real-time fuel consumption with the goal of integrating the model into vessels to help guide operators and potentially reduce fuel consumption. The project provides students with practical experience, gives the NRC access to valuable vessel datasets and enables B.C. Ferries to access NRC research expertise.
• In collaboration with the University of Waterloo, the NRC developed an algorithm based on machine learning for real-time sea-ice classification, which allows for accurate detection of hazards for safer navigation of autonomous vessels. This partnership also produced a control strategy for autonomous navigation in ice-covered waters to improve vessel safety and position Canada as an innovator in this field.
• The NRC started working with the Government of the Northwest Territories to develop sensing systems and digital products for winter roads. This work will help understand and monitor winter roads to support more reliable and cost-effective resupply (e.g., food, fuel) of Northern communities in a rapidly changing climate.
• The NRC collaborated with the Department of National Defence (DND) on research projects using VR (virtual reality) to monitor peoples' reactions in stressful situations and provide training in making decisions in difficult ethical situations. The success of these projects led to a new project with Defence Research and Development Canada on contactless vital sign monitoring.
• In another project using VR, cadets from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were trained in scenarios related to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and de-escalation of stressful situations using fully functional demos. The project was so successful that the RCMP invited the NRC to present it to the international Security Simulation Technologies Group in Regina.
• The NRC launched a 4-year Critical Battery Materials Initiative to use automated, AI platforms to discover new battery materials and processes in a third of the time it usually takes, and signed multi-year collaborative projects with the University of Waterloo and University of Toronto on battery materials discovery and self-driving labs. These collaborative efforts will contribute to growing the Canadian battery supply chain in support of Canada's critical minerals strategy.

Leveraging the potential of quantum and nanotechnologies

The NRC is harnessing the transformative powers of quantum and nanotechnologies to develop real-world solutions across various sectors, from healthcare and telecommunications to advanced manufacturing and computing.

The NRC's collaborative challenge programs provide funding opportunities for leading Canadian researchers to work with the NRC to advance Canada's global position in quantum research:

• Under the Quantum Sensors Challenge program, 2 international projects were launched as part of a joint call for proposals by the NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and Innovate UK, and 8 national collaborative projects were launched to advance various quantum sensing technologies. The program also advanced Canada's National Quantum Strategy commercialization mandate by launching a joint call for proposals with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's Alliance program, seeking collaborative projects with teams of NRC researchers, academics, and industry partners in various areas of quantum to reinforce, coordinate and scale up Canada's domestic research capabilities in quantum science and technology.
• The Applied Quantum Computing Challenge program launched 8 collaborative R&D projects with 7 external partners and held a call for proposals in quantum algorithm research to enable scientific discovery.

NRC researchers are providing the foundational research that will underpin future breakthroughs in quantum and nanotechnologies:

• Experiments at an international collaborator's facility showed how molecules move and react when they are given additional boosts of energy. A joint publication demonstrated how time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, a technique used to study the structure and behavior of molecules, can help better understand how the different parts of a molecule interact and work together. This is important for applications in quantum computing, molecular electronics, and understanding basic chemical reactions.
• Progress was made on an easy-to-use, portable device that is able to transfer nanowire sources (tiny, wire-like structures that emit photons or particles) to silicon nitride chips (small, durable components valued for their strength, heat resistance, and electrical insulating properties), and evaluate the quality, clarity and consistency of the photons. This allows for the development of devices made from quantum dot nanowire that can emit light at longer wavelengths. This is important because longer wavelengths improve data transmission and communication efficiency. These advancements are paving the way for practical, scalable quantum technologies that can be used outside of laboratory settings in everyday applications, with the potential to revolutionize fields such as computing, telecommunications, and sensing.
• While traditional 3D printing technology relies on a layer-by-layer printing method, volumetric additive manufacturing provides fast and layer-less 3D printing. However, this efficient and innovative process, struggles to print fine details, resulting in defects in colour, finish or performance. Collaboration with international partners led to a model that predicts the variation of print time with feature size (the smallest detail or dimension that a printer can accurately reproduce) to address this issue so the technology can be used for more applications.

Research that empowers Indigenous communities

The NRC is actively engaging in research that directly benefits Indigenous communities, focusing on innovative technologies and sustainable environmental practices.

Under the Indigenous Languages Technology project, the web-based plug-in for Indigenous audiobooks developed by the NRC, Carleton University and Indigenous collaborators, ReadAlong Studio, was released as open-source and adopted all over the world. ReadAlong Studio promotes learning of Indigenous audiobooks by reading or singing highlighted words aloud, allowing students to adjust playback speed to learn pronunciation. Interactive grammars were developed through Gramble, an intuitive framework designed for educators to create grammatical apps for Indigenous languages in a user-friendly interface. Verb conjugations are one of the most difficult aspects to learn and Gramble has been used for 3 Indigenous languages, with 2 others in development.

The NRC, the Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation and other Indigenous partners conducted culturally appropriate stakeholder consultations and fieldwork within Indigenous territories to assess the unique environmental conditions and how to harness energy from the natural movement of water such as rivers and oceans in Northern and remote communities. This work is led by Indigenous perspectives and traditional knowledge, which guide the development of marine renewable energy solutions.

In a project with Canada-Inuit Nunangat-United Kingdom Arctic Research Programme, the NRC worked with Inuit Nunangat communities and SmartIce (a community-based social enterprise) to develop maps of sea-ice roughness and slush by using Indigenous knowledge, remote sensing, and data from land vehicles and drones. The work supports the capabilities of Northern and Inuit communities to address sea-ice travel concerns particularly related to Arctic warming.

Advancements in safe and efficient transportation systems

The NRC is playing a key role in promoting the safety and efficiency of transportation through innovative research and collaborations in various sectors including aviation, rail, and autonomous vehicles.

The NRC conducted a pilot simulation of a realistic gate-to-gate airport trip to capture behaviors and environmental measures, providing data that can be used to develop models by aviation regulators, public health agencies, airlines and airports to understand health risks during future pandemics. The NRC also collaborated with Canadian company ABC Ventilation Systems to measure the performance of conditioned air within aircraft parked at the gate at 2 Canadian airports.

The NRC continued to work with the rail industry to improve the safety of rail operations and mitigate risks to Canadian railways under changing climate conditions. In 2023-24, the NRC:

• applied remote monitoring and sensor technology to help a heavy haul railway operator resolve train separation concerns and improve train handling procedures to prevent derailments, which could be used for guidelines for Canadian railways operating in mountain regions.
• used satellite data from Natural Resources Canada and NASA to develop a wildfire prediction and alert system for Canada's national railway network, with 2 railways interested in using the system in their operations.
• collaborated with a Canadian university on a prototype user-friendly application that processes measurements from an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with Light Detection and Ranging technology (LIDAR) and a camera. This app allows track inspectors to accurately identify trees, vegetation, and obstructions that should be removed according to Transport Canada regulations. A similar prototype was developed based on information taken from a truck equipped with sensors and other measurement devices, with further testing along a Canadian railway planned for the high vegetation season in summer 2024.
• completed 2 projects evaluating new inspection technologies, including a project to identify the parameters that could affect performance and reliability of inspection technologies. This project resulted in a comprehensive list of recommendations for improvement in consideration of Canada's weather and operational context.

Working with government and industry to support safe and efficient navigation and offshore operations in ice conditions, the NRC developed an advanced risk assessment system, high-resolution ice forecasting system, and iceberg drift forecasting crucial for safe oil and gas projects on the Grand Banks, and sealift operations in Canada's Northern communities. The NRC is also advancing iceberg forecasting models and creating publicly accessible data repositories to help de-risk development of wind energy in offshore ice-prone waters in Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The NRC is developing and testing technologies to promote the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles in Canada.

• The NRC demonstrated its autonomous aircraft technology in Yuma, Arizona as part of the Experimental Demonstration Gateway Event in 2023. New features were introduced to enable landing site assessments, and detection and avoidance of cooperative traffic (other aircraft that have compatible communication and collision avoidance systems) for obstacle-free landings. The NRC also applied autonomous aircraft technology to wildfire suppression by deploying remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) equipped with infrared and LIDAR sensors for controlled burns.
• The NRC and Transport Canada collaborated on a project to better understand sensor performance for remotely operated autonomous vessels in harsh environments such as rain, fog, heavy sea conditions, snow and ice. In its second phase, the project began field work and data collection that will be used to inform the technical requirements and guidelines that define how autonomous vessels should be designed, built, and operated to ensure they are safe, reliable and capable of performing their intended functions.
• Expanding the NRC's collaborative project with the Geological Survey of Canada on measurements of methane emissions from permafrost, a new lightweight field-deployable methane sensor for drones was designed and went into production. The use of drones allows larger areas to be surveyed and flight times of up to 2 hours on a single battery charge, which is more cost-effective and efficient than helicopters, expanding the scope of methane detection of permafrost in the North.

Foundational research in astronomy and metrology

The NRC is making significant contributions to the field of astronomy, enhancing the capabilities of Canadian and international astronomers to explore and understand the universe.

Prototype proof-of-concept dish for the Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Radio-transient Detector, at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in the White Lake Basin, B.C.

• The NRC completed the first of 640 dishes for the Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Radio transient Detector, a new world-leading radio telescope facility an order of magnitude more powerful than its predecessor, CHIME (the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment). The dish was manufactured at the NRC's Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory using single-piece composite infusion technology (a manufacturing process used to create large, strong, and lightweight parts from composite material) pioneered by the NRC.
• The John A. Galt Telescope, also located at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory achieved an important milestone: observation of the first spectrum of atomic hydrogen through an upgraded signal path, allowing for clearer and more accurate measurements of the different wavelengths of light (spectrum) that hydrogen atoms produce. The NRC's upgrade team was able to achieve this milestone by upgrading the telescope with a cryogenically cooled receiver from the MeerKAT radio telescope supplier, which features NRC-designed low-noise amplifiers.
• In 2024, Canada officially became a member of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), the world's next-generation radio-astronomy observatory. The observatory is a global collaboration that will operate 2 of the world's largest telescope arrays currently under construction. Membership will give Canada access to future SKAO procurements for innovative Canadian companies to access cutting-edge technologies in different fields. Progress on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA)-Mid telescope included delivering correlator hardware for integration with other telescope components, and correlating data from 2 digitizers at a facility in Cape Town, South Africa. The initial 4 antennae, scheduled to be integrated at the end of 2024, are being tested using digitally generated data at a facility in Richmond, B.C. When complete, the SKA-Mid in South Africa will be the most sensitive radio telescope in the world and allow Canadian and international astronomers to make countless new discoveries.
• Ten papers published from the CANUCS (CAnadian NIRISS Unbiased Cluster Survey) project, to which the NRC contributes, reveal new insights into the evolution of low-mass galaxies – galaxies that have relatively small amounts of mass compared to other galaxies (i.e., fewer stars, gas, and other materials). They also provide evidence against some of the most unexpected James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) results that have garnered media attention with headlines such as 'Cosmology is Broken' and shown that those results were subject to large statistical fluctuations or systematic errors. The CANUCS team's work gained international recognition, securing additional observing time on the JWST in 2024 and 2025, and an invitation to contribute to a review paper on the study of the early universe based on JWST data.

The NRC is advancing foundational research in metrology, deploying innovative technologies and making significant contributions to international standards and definitions.

• The NRC served as Vice-chair and Chair of a task group to establish the International Committee for Weights and Measures Forum on Metrology and Digitalization. This leadership role allows the NRC to contribute to the development of international digitalization standards for metrological services.
• The NRC completed construction, testing, and proof-of-concept measurements for the new acoustic gas thermometer. Results of these measurements will contribute to the international project to disseminate the redefined kelvin, in which Canada plays a significant role as a formal collaborator.
• Significant progress has been made on a prototype of the portable Strontium ion optical clock, with successful assembly, conditioning and testing of various components. The project is on schedule be compared against the NRC's lab-bench Strontium optical clock in 2025-26. The clock will enable the NRC's contribution to the international campaign for the redefinition of the SI (system of units) second with several impacts across measurement science.
• Through an Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) funded challenge project, the NRC characterized 2 companies' quantum-enabled prototypes to help bring their products closer to commercialization. The NRC also is also participating in an international pilot study with other national metrology institutes (NMIs) to develop device characterization methods required to provide future calibration services to Canadian quantum companies. Both of these activities support Canada's National Quantum Strategy missions and will help pave the way for future Canadian quantum technologies to be accepted in international markets.

Contributing to developing STEM talent

The NRC is making significant contributions to developing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) talent through a variety of initiatives aimed at supporting early career scientists and engineers, enhancing educational opportunities, and fostering collaborative research projects.

In 2023-24, the NRC participated in 13 career fairs with 27,000 participants, hired 502 students, 35 research associates and 12 postdoctoral fellows, and provided learning and collaboration opportunities across the STEM training continuum. Virtual onboarding events and a new student engagement program provided networking, leadership, and skill-building opportunities to foster career growth for promising scientists and engineers.

Through initiatives like its Ideation Fund, the NRC partners with universities, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other government and research organizations to support the development of Canadian talent by encouraging, testing and validating transformative research ideas. The fifth round awarded $1.2 million to 52 innovative New Beginnings projects (individual researchers), and $2 million for 2 collaborative Small Teams projects (small research teams with complementary capabilities).

Part of the Collaborative Science, Technology and Innovation Program (CSTIP), the Outreach Initiative program allocates $250,000 every year to support STEM engagement and skills development, particularly towards youth or underrepresented groups. Last year, the Outreach Initiative supported 27 projects, reaching an estimated 14,481 participants across Canada.

The NRC completed its first cycle as administrator of the National Killam Program, awarding 5 Killam Prizes and 8 Dorothy Killam Fellowships in 2023. The Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship was designed and launched in 2023-24 to support distinguished scholars in pursuing collaborative projects with NRC researchers, with the first fellows to be announced in February 2025.

Results achieved

Support for business innovation and growth

The NRC is enhancing its support to help businesses innovate and grow by connecting them with essential resources and expertise at national and international levels.

By serving as a crucial link in the innovation ecosystem, NRC IRAP connects SMEs with top-tier business and R&D expertise, fostering innovation and economic growth in Canada.

• In 2023-24, NRC IRAP played an important role in the advancement of SMEs investing in innovation, working with 9,410 firms, supporting 12,719 jobs and providing 26,791 advisory services.
• NRC IRAP's Large Value Contribution program provided advisory services and over $70 million in funding to 66 SMEs in 2023-24. The program provides strategic business and technical advice, and financial support that enables Canadian companies to scale-up and expand their risk tolerance for undertaking R&D projects that can lead to considerable benefits to Canada.
• The NRC IRAP-delivered Youth Employment Program (YEP) provides recent post-secondary STEM graduates with employment opportunities to help them gain practical work experience, and build technical and digital skills required in the job market. In 2023-24, the program supported 649 job placements with innovative SMEs, and saw strong job retention, with 87% of graduates reporting employment after their placement, and 96% of those individuals becoming employed at their placement firm. The program also achieved goals for representation of equity-deserving groups, surpassing 5 of its 6 targets (more results for the YEP can be found in the GBA Plus program impacts).
• The Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) program disbursed $7.8 million, completed 9 projects, managed 17 existing challenges involving 22 SMEs, and launched 4 new challenges. The ISC program enables close collaboration between NRC's research centres and innovative Canadian SMEs to build leading edge solutions that advance NRC's research goals and support the SMEs in IP development and commercialization. For example, NRC's Advanced Electronics and Photonics Research Centre collaborated with Solid State AI (Toronto) to successfully develop a first of its kind AI software for the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre that can improve the yield in photonics semiconductor manufacturing. The NRC's Metrology Research Centre teamed up with Integrated Nanotherapeutics Inc (Vancouver) to successfully develop innovative nanoparticle formulations for drug delivery that can overcome several challenges in the global pharmaceutical industry.
• In partnership with Global Affairs Canada, the NRC launched 2 international innovation projects in support of the Government of Canada's $2.3 billion Indo-Pacific Strategy, which seeks to strengthen Canada's ability to engage and benefit from international science, technology and innovation partnerships, and advance international clean technology in the Indo-Pacific. Agreements were signed with Taiwan and South Korea, and work is underway to establish the requirements for co-innovation activities with Singapore and Japan.

Following Canada's achievement of full membership status in June 2022, the NRC was invited to co-chair Eureka with Germany in 2024-25. Eureka is the largest innovation network in the world with more than 45 participating economies supporting SME growth through international co-innovation and access to global value chains. This marks the first co-chairship in the network's nearly 40-year history, and the first non-European country to chair, reflecting Canada's strong standing as a well-regarded member of Eureka. In 2023-24, the co-chairs established a team to prepare the chairship program, and the NRC began outreach activities and engagement of key stakeholders, partners and clients, including Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Global Affairs Canada, and other science-based departments. This leadership position enhances opportunities for Canadian innovators, offering them increased visibility and collaborative prospects from major events, including the Eureka Global Innovation Summit being held in Germany in 2025, in conjunction with the Hanover Messe Industrial Fair. With over 130,000 attendees annually, Hannover Messe brings core industrial sectors together and is an important window to the future of industrial innovation.

Fostering innovation through IP commercialization

The NRC fosters innovation by developing new IP and maintaining a valuable IP portfolio to attract collaborators and secure competitive advantages in various scientific and technological domains. Licensing IP to key partners leads to commercializing Canadian research.

• The NRC licensed its portable thermal chamber technology for measuring the R-value^{Footnote 1} of low-slope roofs to Thermtest Instruments, which is intended to reduce building energy consumption and carbon emissions by identifying areas of heat loss. The company received NRC IRAP support to commercialize the technology and launched a beta version of the product in early 2024.
• The NRC expanded licensing activities for mining-related sensing technologies to make mineral processing more sustainable. Using existing NRC IP, the NRC is engaging industry in sustainable mining and carbon capture, utilization and storage projects at low technology readiness levels. Through this effort, NRC technologies have been licensed to 3 companies, with another 3 in discussions.
• Three Canadian SMEs received NRC support in characterizing and prototyping their natural graphite for the battery supply chain, resulting in NRC partner Nouveau Monde Graphite securing agreements with Panasonic Energy and General Motorsfor a value of up to US$325 million. This support will help the company develop a fully integrated source of carbon-neutral battery anode material to become a key supplier to the world's leading battery and automobile manufacturers.

NRC IRAP's IP Assist program helps innovative firms develop an IP strategy that supports their business goals, increases their internal IP competencies, and provides valuable information relating to their technology, IP and competitor landscapes. By clarifying the IP value proposition, prioritizing IP for innovative firms, linking IP to business objectives and commercial outcomes, increasing project values and eligibility, and establishing agreements to connect firms to IP service providers, IP Assist services were able to have a direct impact on helping high growth innovative firms protect and leverage their IP for the benefit of the Canadian economy. As a result, 2,141 unique firms received IP awareness advisory services, 501 firms were supported with their IP strategy development, and 140 firms were able to execute actions from their IP strategy.

Making biologics and therapeutics accessible to Canadians

The NRC plays a role in enhancing the accessibility of biologics and therapeutics by licensing innovative technologies and advancing clinical developments. This ensures cutting-edge treatments reach patients more efficiently.

In 2023-24, the NRC licensed several proprietary vaccine and therapeutics technologies, achieving key milestones in bringing innovative treatments to Canadians, including the following:

• A license agreement with a Canadian SME to develop, manufacture and commercialize the NRC's adjuvant (Sulfated lactosylarchaeol) technology, as well as the adjuvant's inclusion in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations' Adjuvant Library, will make the technology more widely available to vaccine developers particularly in lower income countries.
• Licensing NRC technology to block COVID-19 infection to JN Nova, a Canadian clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, resulting in the company filing a Health Canada application to evaluate the technology in Phase 1A safety studies, a major milestone in bringing innovative treatments to patients.
• Licensing an NRC gene therapy for lipoprotein lipase deficiency, a rare genetic disorder that can lead to severe pancreatitis and other health issues, to Canadian SME Eder Therapeutics to further develop the ground-breaking technology and advance it through clinical trials with the potential to become a cost-effective treatment or even a cure for patients suffering from the debilitating disease.
• An international collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to deliver lentiviral reference material using the NRC's stable producer cell line approach as a benchmark in cell and gene therapy reference material.

The NRC continued to advance the transfer of its bWell cognitive care platform, an interactive platform to assess and treat cognitive and psychiatric disorders, by selecting Neuro Solution Group from 3 prospective SMEs. The company will further the NRC technology to clinically validate its functions to assess and remediate ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).

In collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency and a Canadian manufacturer, the NRC is developing a portable system to monitor astronaut health in space with potential applications for remote communities that have limited access to large medical labs. Building on this work, the NRC is working with DND to further develop the technology and create a certifiable prototype with a Canadian SME to deploy in remote locations.

Through a public-private partnership, Biologics Manufacturing Centre (BMC) Inc., a not-for-profit corporation, took over operation of the NRC-built BMC facility on April 1, 2023. The NRC continues to support BMC Inc. by providing funding and lease agreements, and seeing that the facility is ready to manufacture vaccines and respond to public health emergencies, strengthening Canada's ability to support the health of its citizens (more details and results for the BMC can be found in the supplementary tables).

Enabling industry access to NRC facilities

The NRC is increasing industry access to its state-of-the-art facilities, enabling a broad range of Canadian SMEs to engage in valuable R&D projects that drive innovation and competitiveness in key sectors.

In 2023-24, the NRC delivered 330 research and innovation projects for 196 Canadian SME clients, with a combined value of $21 million. The NRC continues to offer reduced fees to SMEs accessing its facilities and services, with all SME clients benefitting from these reduced rates. The NRC also continued to invest in its research facility capacity to remain relevant to leading Canadian innovators and competitive in key industries.

• The NRC's atypical fermentation facility established the Single Cell Production team in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, completed the initial phase of its strategic staffing plan, conducted 11 independent projects and secured 3 new collaborative research agreements to see that the facility can support SMEs in optimizing and scaling up development of bio-based products from agriculture and marine biomass.
• Under the ISC Testing program, the NRC supported Canadian SME Zentek in demonstrating the viral filtration efficiency of its innovative new air filters in HVAC systems. The NRC built a new test facility for this work within 9 months and due to the facility's market demand, the NRC determined the need for an additional investment to equip the facility to evaluate various other technologies to improve indoor occupant health. Construction is expected to begin in 2025-26.
• The NRC built a specialized facility to simulate unsteady airflow in an urban environment and worked with Canadian SMEs to validate the characteristics of urban airflow.
• The NRC continued supporting Pratt & Whitney Canada on their hybrid-electric propulsion flight demonstrator project. In 2023-24, the partnership led to a high-voltage mobile charging unit capable of charging batteries up to 1500 volts. High voltage, bidirectional charging systems will be critical for a growing number of electric and hybrid-electric systems including aircraft.
• The NRC supported another Canadian company to test an electric engine, and NRC experts provided data to further develop the company's electric propulsion system they plan to use as a retrofit to electrify one of their own aircraft fleets.

The NRC finished operationalizing its Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)-compliant clinical trial material facility, finished the commissioning, qualification and validation phase, and is preparing for future production in the facility.

Results achieved

Low carbon construction and resilient infrastructure

NRC initiatives and collaborations in low-carbon construction directly contribute to reducing Canada's carbon footprint and mitigating climate change.

• Under the Low Carbon Built Environment Challenge program, the NRC launched 28 research projects, including initiatives in low-carbon cement and concrete, biomaterials, material substitution and reuse, and other low carbon alternatives for materials like steel and coatings. This collaborative program aims to accelerate decarbonization across the entire Canadian construction industry.
• Through the NRC's Centre of Excellence in Construction Life Cycle Assessment, which will officially launch in 2024-25, the NRC will provide technical guidance to various government departments to support the development of low carbon emission construction policies. Furthermore, the NRC developed guidelines for infrastructure life cycle assessment and the National whole-building Life Cycle Assessment Practitioner's Guide, in collaboration with the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada and the city of Vancouver. The NRC also presented a draft of the Low Carbon Guideline for Federally Funded Construction to the Federal Committee on Codes and a federal working group for review.
• The NRC provided technical guidance to the committees of the Harmonized Code Development System for consideration in the 2025 editions of the National Model Codes. This will facilitate the development of code changes for the design of buildings for future adaptation to climate change and to prevent overheating of dwelling units. The NRC is currently providing support to policy discussions on the role of the Codes in addressing additional climate hazards to buildings including, permafrost melt, wildland fire, durability, flooding and high wind.
• In support of Canada's Housing Plan and its objective to increase the housing supply in Canada, the NRC, in collaboration with provinces, territories and other interest groups, began scoping work to advance the uptake of modular construction. This work includes streamlining national inspection processes, evaluating the safety requirements for single means of egress in multi-residential buildings, and examining the digitalization of the National Building Code, including digital permitting, to improve efficiencies and capacity in the construction sector.

In 2023-24, the NRC continued to promote and enhance natural infrastructure solutions and clean energy technologies to support resilient infrastructure and environmental protection.

A nature-based emergency flood barrier made of oyster-shell filled biodegradable bags.

• The NRC established Canada's first emergency flood barriers^{Footnote 2} testing facility to accelerate the development, certification, and safe use of flood defense solutions and guidance. The NRC is using the results from its work with certification agencies and industry associations to test and certify the practical and environmentally friendly flood barriers for Canadian manufacturers and develop testing standards and guidance for Canadian municipalities. The NRC is also working with organizations such as the Greater Toronto Area Rivers to incorporate nature-based solutions into decision systems to support sustainable watershed management and channel restoration.
• The NRC is working with innovative companies, and Indigenous partners and communities to remove barriers to adopting nature-based solutions to manage floods and erosion. A pilot project in Surrey, B.C. involved NRC collaboration with engineers, local government and First Nations partners to test physical models of various natural infrastructure designs, including new features such as oyster-shell filled biodegradable bags, brushwood dams, cobble and sand berms.
• In collaboration with Transport Canada, the NRC enhanced its physical modeling facilities to study and improve the hydrodynamic efficiency of Canadian fishing vessels, reducing emissions and underwater noise, and paving the way for future advancements in noise mitigation and energy-saving technologies.

Innovative solutions for sustainability

The NRC is advancing sustainable solutions across various sectors, pushing the boundaries of innovation to address Canada's environmental challenges and promote sustainability.

To better understand the environmental and safety impacts of transportation technologies throughout their entire lifespan, the NRC:

• launched 13 projects focused on advanced materials for carbon capture and conversion, collaborating with 3 Canadian SMEs on CO2 (carbon dioxide) conversion, as part of the Materials for Clean Fuels Challenge program's second phase. Activities related to life cycle assessment (LCA) and technoeconomic analysis (TEA) are included in several phase 2 projects, including the "Development of harmonized datasets for both green hydrogen production and CO2 conversion for integration into the NRC's LCA/TEA data hub".
• advanced life cycle assessment projects for hydrogen production and battery critical minerals by completing:
  • design, modeling and simulation of different methods for producing hydrogen gas to gauge carbon intensity and inform decision-making, and
  • assessment of potential methods of producing battery-grade lithium hydroxide in Canada to identify clean and cost-effective access to minerals for the battery supply chain.
• delivered 4 projects for SMEs and 2 projects for government in battery performance and safety, enhancing validation of emerging technologies to foster the Canadian innovation ecosystem in this area, through its Advanced Clean Energy Program. The NRC also contributed to the growth of the Canadian battery supply chain by piloting a battery recycling system that successfully separated critical minerals from other materials in used batteries, and removed cobalt from the active materials used for battery cathodes, a critical component in battery cells, helping to reduce Canada's reliance on scarce and expensive minerals.
• provided Natural Resources Canada with a Light Duty Vehicle life-cycle analysis database, which emphasizes the importance of updating vehicle assumptions and accounting for vehicle classes when sharing information with the public on life-cycle emissions of different vehicle types.
• supported hydrail codes and standards development by identifying regulatory gaps and new safety risks for battery and hydrogen-powered locomotives.

The NRC launched the new STAMP Hybrids industrial R&D group in October 2023 to develop a cost-effective, 1-step process for creating metal/thermoplastic composite hybrid components with significantly reduced weight. This 3-year project, involving 10 partners, aims to analyze the costs, develop process modeling tools, explore recycling technologies, and develop a prototype of the technology to demonstrate its potential to enhance the fabrication process.

The NRC's Advanced Manufacturing Program initiated 8 strategic initiatives in vehicle weight reduction, recycling materials for electric vehicles and developing metal-composite hybrid components. The initiatives contribute to Canada's climate goals such as the transition to zero-emission vehicles, and light-weighting of ground transportation vehicles to help reduce fuel consumption. The program aims to increase environmental sustainability in NRC-led industrial R&D groups through licensing IP developed under the initiatives. The NRC launched other activities under the Advanced Manufacturing Program to understand biodegradability and performance of emerging sustainable food packaging to support the circular economy. The updated Canada Plastics Pact Roadmap to 2025 that defines Canadian industry needs for sustainable plastic packaging will guide program activities going forward.

The NRC continued to develop capacity in sustainable agriculture by launching 15 collaborative research projects in sustainable agriculture, with 12 under the Sustainable Protein Production Cluster support program and 3 under Agri-Food Initiatives. The NRC also led research in sustainable waste management by studying plastic waste conversion to hydrogen to capture carbon in solid form to produce clean fuel.

Sustainable aviation sector

The NRC supported the development of a more prosperous, sustainable aviation sector through significant advancements in clean and innovative aircraft technologies and measurement.

• The NRC continued work on an initiative to reduce measurement uncertainties for non-volatile particulate matter (nvPM) in aircraft emissions by developing a novel calibration system and leading an interlaboratory comparison designed to significantly increase consistency and precision in measurements. As the first laboratory to introduce a calibration service for instruments used to measure nvPM in aircraft emissions, the NRC is a global leader in aviation nvPM measurement and continues to participate in campaigns to understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of aviation emissions, and evaluate the benefits of using sustainable aviation fuels.
• In 2023-24, the NRC's Gas Turbine Laboratory completed a retrofit of its unique combustor rig to prepare for test campaigns that will enable detailed studies of hydrogen combustion behavior.
• The NRC worked with the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies to design and validate a novel aircraft configuration for enhanced fuel efficiency.
• The NRC expanded its hybrid-electric propulsion modeling capabilities to assess options for fuel savings, advanced battery performance testing and characterization, tested aerospace materials under cryogenic conditions to assess the potential for on-board hydrogen storage, and delivered a proof-of-concept for a low-drag aircraft coating design.

The NRC prioritizes equity, inclusion and diversity in its workforce and organizational culture. By working closely with its employees, clients, and partners, and applying GBA Plus to programs, policies operations and services, the NRC makes its research inclusive and accessible to all Canadians, including equity-deserving groups.

• Collaborative programs: By incorporating GBA Plus considerations into the design and evaluation of its Challenge programs, the NRC sees that the programs are sensitive to the different impacts they might have on various groups. The New Beginnings Initiative uses an anonymized proposal review process to track success rates of women and members of a racialized group, which the Small Teams Initiative plans to adopt. New Beginnings also collects data on gender parity on peer-review committees.
• Accessible communications: 2023-24 efforts focused on making communication products accessible to a broader audience, including those with disabilities. These included developing a plain language checklist for print and online content, assessing new content for compliance with accessibility standards, offering training sessions and updating online resources, as well as promoting accessible communications in weekly employee newsletters to enhance staff capability in effective and inclusive communications.
• Indigenous engagement: The NRC's new Indigenous Strategy and Engagement team identified gaps and priorities for Indigenous engagement to help build its 5-year strategic plan, focused on enhancing cultural awareness across the organization, growing relationship management, and integrating Indigenous priorities into NRC research and operations. The NRC developed a foundational suite of resources, and launched tailored advisory services to support dozens of projects and initiatives across the NRC to further its goal of building cultural competency. The NRC's Indigenous Engagement Network hosted a series of meetings that showcased Indigenous perspectives to support efforts to consider Indigenous viewpoints in NRC projects. The NRC also renewed its commitment to I-STEM and confirmed interest in building an approach for Indigenous scholar participation.
• National Killam Program: The National Killam Program continuously seeks out new opportunities to fund research aligned with Dorothy Killam's vision of building Canada's future through advanced study. The program actively participates in EDI discussions and collaborated with the Canadian Science Policy Centre to host a panel on Addressing Bias and Inequity in the Research Ecosystem. By endorsing the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, the National Killam Program committed to its principle of inclusive excellence to guide design and delivery of the program.

In 2023-24, the NRC made notable contributions to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identified in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, particularly related to goals for: Climate Action, Affordable and Clean Energy, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth, Advancing Reconciliation, and Responsible Consumption and Production. Achievements include carbon-neutral infrastructure plans, innovative food waste management solutions, supporting clean technology projects from SMEs, improving research relationships with Indigenous researchers and communities, projects on dam resilience, climate-adaptive building code updates, standards and a guide for managing Wildland Urban Interface Fires, and a successful curtailment program to reduce electrical consumption.

More information on the NRC's contributions to Canada's Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

In 2023-24, the NRC continued to align its efforts with the Government of Canada's vision of innovative culture by experimenting with new approaches in service delivery, program design, and policy making. Throughout the year, innovative solutions were implemented across various sectors to address significant challenges.

• NRC IRAP expanded its partnership with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) beyond its Ontario pilot to reach SME clients nationwide. This collaboration included a pilot of educational workshops on robotics and automation, support on IP awareness, and the development and implementation of IP strategies through the IP Assist program. NRC IRAP also established a framework for referrals of IRAP clients to the BDC-delivered Canada Digital Adoption Program, which provided SMEs with interest-free loans up to $100,000 for a digital adoption plan, significantly boosting innovation and business growth across Canada.

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• Progress on results
• Resources required to achieve results
• Contracts awarded to Indigenous business