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GreenCentre Canada attracts Ford as an industry partner
April 22, 2010
KINGSTON, ON -- GreenCentre Canada has joined forces with one of the world’s top motor vehicle manufacturing companies in pursuit of green chemistry breakthroughs that can be incorporated into its manufacturing process and further advance its environmental goals.
Ford Motor Company, a global industry leader that manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents, joins seven other national and international industry sponsors that have signed on as GreenCentre sponsors in just the past year.
“This interest in GreenCentre by a leading international manufacturer is a huge vote of confidence in us. It validates our mandate of finding and developing green technologies that will be embraced for use by industry,” says Dr. Rui Resendes, Executive Director of GreenCentre.
“When a company of this magnitude and stature makes known its interest in adopting new Green Chemistry technologies, it sends a loud wake-up call to the chemical manufacturing sector that it’s time to start thinking seriously about the future role of green chemistry,” says Dr. Resendes.
GreenCentre’s commercialization model is unprecedented in the world for the way that it involves industry partners in governance and in the decision-making process about which green technologies are selected for development. The not-for-profit centre offers an all-in-one commercialization ‘ecosystem’ that includes everything from assessment, scale-up and testing to intellectual property protection, business management and financial resources.
Ford has taken a strong green leadership role in the North American manufacturing sector. Its impressive track record on the environmental front includes its Fumes-to-Fuel system at Oakville Assembly Complex for turning emissions into a source of energy, and its partnership in the Ontario BioCar Initiative, aimed at accelerating the use of biomass in automotive materials.
It is the first automaker to develop and use wheat straw-reinforced plastic in its vehicles for reducing petroleum usage and CO2 emissions. Other sustainable materials used include soy-based polyurethane seat cushions, seatbacks and headliners; post-industrial recycled yarns for seat fabrics; and post-consumer recycled resins for underbody systems. Its hybrid sales continue to grow and it is accelerating its electric vehicle strategy. Last year, Ford kicked off a national pledge drive in support of the EPA's "Change the World” campaign to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Henry Ford first introduced bio-based materials in the 1940s and we at Ford Motor Company's Research and Innovation Center are following his legacy by introducing next-generation green materials and manufacturing processes,” says Dr. Matthew J. Zaluzec, manager of Ford’s Materials and Processes Department. “GreenCentre Canada is an excellent bridge between our collaborations with universities and automotive suppliers. Our goal is to make the most fuel-efficient vehicles possible and we are excited to be working with GreenCentre Canada to make our vehicles even greener.”
Founded by PARTEQ Innovations at Queen’s University one year ago, GreenCentre Canada has received major financial support amounting to more than $20 million from both the Province of Ontario and the federal government, which has designated it a National Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research. To date the centre has received nearly 90 technology disclosures related to Green Chemistry breakthroughs from university researchers across Canada.
GreenCentre’s industrial partners include the Paris-based Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies (VHS), a world leader in water treatment, and NexCycle Plastics Inc., a North American recycling company. Other partners are Fielding Chemical Technologies Inc., NOVA Chemical Corporation, Polycorp Ltd., and Pressure Chemical Co.
Contact:
Mary Anne Beaudette
Director, Communications
GreenCentre Canada
P: 613-533-6000 x 78238
E: Maryanne.beaudette@greencentrecanada.com
www.greencentrecanada.com
Jennifer LaForce
Technology Coordinator
Ford Communications, The Americas
P: 313-323-9803
E: jlaforce@ford.com
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 198,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until its sale, Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
