Power Corporation fuels green-tech innovation with gift of $4 million to the Campaign for Concordia
A major gift of $4 million to the Campaign for Concordia: Next-Gen Now from Power Corporation of Canada will provide significant support to Volt-age, a Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) program jointly led by Concordia.
Designed to innovate novel energy sources, secure new infrastructure and deliver affordable, green energy under diverse conditions across Canada, the program was first announced in April 2023 when the Government of Canada awarded Concordia the largest research grant in the university’s 50-year history.
In partnership with the University of Calgary, Toronto Metropolitan University and Dalhousie University, Volt-age was officially launched in October 2023.
“In a world faced with urgent energy challenges, this partnership enables us to propel society towards a more resilient future,” says Concordia President Graham Carr. “We are profoundly grateful to Power Corporation for its visionary investment in green energy research. This support recognizes our leadership in sustainability, but it will also help us innovate even more in the renewable technology space.
“Together, with the active engagement of partners and collaborators from the private and public sectors, we can chart a transformative course for Canada and the world.”
Adds Paul C. Genest, Senior Vice-President at Power Corporation of Canada: “As a company committed to sustainability, we are proud to support green energy research at Concordia. This strategic partnership aligns with our corporate values and will help strengthen advances in clean energy.
“Concordia has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership in environmental technologies, and we are confident that our contribution will further catalyze groundbreaking solutions for the betterment of society.”
Led by a consortium of academic researchers, the multi-year Volt-age program will derive a number of benefits from Power Corporation’s generous investment.
Among other initiatives, the company’s donation will help to enhance:
- Business development efforts, including the hiring of an advisor with experience in the energy and electrification sector;
- “Living Labs” pilot projects that address key challenges related to clean tech;
- An innovation fund designed to support the development and maturation of transformative technologies;
- The various operations of the CFREF project as it unfolds.
“This project is an ambitious, multidisciplinary endeavour with anticipated outcomes that promise to have a broad impact,” says Dominique Bérubé, vice-president of Research and Graduate Studies at Concordia. “It is especially relevant, then, to have the support of a strategic partner like Power Corporation. This donation provides targeted resources to build bridges between our researchers and industrial partners, and between communities and policymakers, accelerating and increasing the impact of research to help us respond to the urgent challenges of climate change.”
Power Corporation’s gift has come at an opportune time, says Paul Chesser, BA 94, GrDip 97, vice-president of Advancement.
“This substantial gift from a major donor to Concordia is directed towards a cause of utmost importance — clean energy research and decarbonization — which underscores our shared objective for a more sustainable future.”
