Nearly $3M to accelerate Québec's energy transition - INRS and UQTR strengthen their joint research unit to develop more efficient, safer, and more sustainable batteries

TROIS-RIVIÈRES, QC, June 19, 2026 /CNW/ - Québec is accelerating its energy transition. With a total investment of $2.88 million, the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) and the Université du Québec à Trois–Rivières (UQTR) are combining their expertise to build new battery value chain capabilities vital to our energy sovereignty.

Creating closer ties between research and industry to accelerate innovation in the energy sector is the core mission of the new INRS–UQTR Joint Research Unit (UMR) in Materials and Technologies for Energy Transition.

The announcement was made today at UQTR at a press conference attended by Sébastien Charles, UQTR Vice–Rector for Research; Annick Girard, INRS Associate Scientific Director; regional elected officials; as well as various UMR partners and members from industry and the research community.

From lithium to power grids: solutions for the entire energy chain

The work by the INRS-UQTR UMR team, co-directed by INRS professor François Allard, spans the full spectrum of energy technologies and enjoys the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Québec's Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie (MEIE) through the Consortium de recherche et d'innovation en transformation métallique (CRITM), and partners such as Hydro–Québec, Mitacs, and Arkema Canada Inc.,

The teams are tackling key challenges in lithium extraction and recycling, next–generation battery development, and the integration of these technologies into electrical grids, with the goal of improving system performance, securing critical resources, and reducing environmental impact.

Alongside François Allard, two projects are co–led within the UMR by UQTR researchers. Professor Samaneh Shahgaldi, Canada Research Chair in Lignin–Based Fuel Cells and member of UQTR's Hydrogen Research Institute (IRH), brings her expertise in polymer materials and electrolytes to the development of high–performance all–solid–state lithium–metal batteries. Professor Kodjo Agbossou, Director of UQTR's School of Engineering and holder of the Hydro–Québec Research Chair in Transactional Management of Residential Power and Energy Demand, contributes his recognized expertise in the integration of electricity-production, storage, and management systems to research on solid oxide fuel cells for grid applications.

A first Canada Research Chair

The UMR has reached a major milestone with the awarding of its first Canada Research Chair in New Energy Materials to INRS professor Karin Kleiner, a member of the INRS–UQTR UMR. This Tier 2 Chair, granted to emerging researchers poised to become leaders in their field, is funded by NSERC in the amount of $600,000 over five years.

This Chair will enable Professor Kleiner to develop next–generation energy materials incorporating Canadian minerals (iron, nickel and lithium) that are high–performing and essential to advancing energy storage and conversion technologies and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Strategic advantages for Québec

With this first Chair and by major new high-impact projects, INRS and UQTR are strengthening their leadership in energy technologies. Together, they are helping position Québec at the heart of the battery sector—a strategic industry for the province's technological and energy sovereignty—while generating significant benefits for research, the economy, and regional development.

Funded Projects

Innovative Processes for Lithium Extraction and Li–ion Battery Recycling NSERC Alliance – $1,165,812 including $278,361 (including FIR) from CRITM supported by MEIE (François Allard, Louis–César Pasquier – INRS)

Stabilizing Lithium Metal with Polymer Electrolytes for High–Performance All–Solid–State Batteries NSERC Alliance – $690,000 (François Allard – INRS, Samaneh Shahgaldi – UQTR)

Multiscale Simulation of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for Power Grid Applications NSERC Alliance, Mitacs, Hydro–Québec – $445,000 (François Allard – INRS, Kodjo Agbossou – UQTR)

"UQTR and INRS play leading roles in developing solutions that will accelerate our energy transition. We are pleased to provide support through CRITM for the innovative work they are carrying out to develop new lithium extraction and battery recycling processes. It is with collaborative research projects like these that we will achieve our carbon–neutrality goals."

Daniel Bernard, Minister for the Economy and for Small and Medium Enterprises of Québec

"The INRS–UQTR Joint Research Unit perfectly illustrates what is possible when governments, universities, and industry combine their strengths and expertise. Driving this success are highly talented researchers who are advancing knowledge and developing the energy solutions of tomorrow. Thanks to their hard work, Canada is strengthening its leadership in innovation, accelerating the transition to a more sustainable economy, and generating concrete benefits for communities. The Government of Canada is proud to support this research, which positions Trois–Rivières as a centre of excellence in energy–transition technologies and shines a spotlight on Mauricie, Québec, and the entire country."

— Caroline Desrochers, Member of Parliament for Trois–Rivières and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure

"This strategic investment demonstrates just how essential collaborative research is to the energy transition. By bringing together complementary expertise within this Joint Research Unit led by INRS, we are developing concrete solutions with UQTR that will meet tomorrow's energy needs and generate significant benefits for Québec and Canada »

Luc-Alain Giraldeau, Chief Executive Officer, INRS

The INRS–UQTR Joint Research Unit is a real stimulus for our community: it is adding capabilities, attracting key research chairs, and sparking projects that otherwise could never have emerged. The funding announced today—three NSERC Alliance projects and a first Canada Research Chair—confirms the value and importance of this model. UQTR is proud to contribute to it alongside INRS and committed industry partners and glad to leverage its recognized expertise in energy materials and electrical systems integration."

Sébastien Charles, Vice–Rector for Research, UQTR

"These projects will spark key advances in the development of safer, higher–performance, and more durable batteries while improving our understanding of materials, critical–mineral processing methods, and next–generation energy systems. For example, they will lead to innovations in lithium extraction and recycling processes—an essential challenge—by making them more efficient and better adapted to Canadian industrial realities."

François Allard, INRS Professor and Co–director of the INRS–UQTR Joint Research Unit

"This chair represents a unique opportunity to advance the development of next–generation energy materials. By pushing current boundaries, we aim to improve performance, extend lifespan, and design solutions that rely on a more efficient use of scarce natural resources. Our ambition is to contribute to technologies that are more sustainable, more efficient, and better suited to today's energy and environmental challenges."

Karin Kleiner, INRS Professor, Member of the INRS–UQTR Joint Research Unit, and Canada Research Chair in Next–Generation Energy Materials

"Canada has everything it needs to be a leader in clean–energy technologies: critical minerals, scientific expertise, and an industrial ecosystem ready to innovate. At the INRS–UQTR Joint Research Unit, we are combining our strengths and building a rare capability in Quebec—the ability to cover the entire energy–materials cycle, from the laboratory to production lines. My work fully aligns with this mission: designing devices that combine lower cost, better performance, and greater durability, the three essential prerequisites to a true energy transition."

Samaneh Shahgaldi, Associate UQTR Professor, Member of the INRS–UQTR Joint Research Unit, and Canada Research Chair in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Electrolyzers

For more: Filière batterie : innovation et durabilité | INRS (in French)

About INRS
The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) is an academic institution dedicated exclusively to graduate research and training in strategic sectors in Québec. Since 1969, as per its mission, it has actively contributed to Québec's economic, social, and cultural development. INRS ranks first in Québec in research intensity. It is made up of five interdisciplinary research and training centres—in Quebec City, Montreal, Laval, and Varennes, and Charlevoix—that focus their efforts on strategic sectors: water, earth, and environment (Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre); energy, materials, and telecommunications (Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre); urbanization, culture, and society (Urbanisation Culture Société Research Centre); health and biotechnology (Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie Research Centre); and Ruralités durables (a centre currently under development). Its comprises a community of nearly 1,500 students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty members, and staff.

About UQTR

Founded in 1969, the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) is recognized for its academic excellence and its contribution to regional development. With a diverse range of study programs and a dynamic community of 15,000 students, its mission revolves around teaching and training, research and community service, with a firm commitment to contributing to the scientific and social development of Quebec and its regions.

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