NRC moves forward on cluster development and new sector-based approach to R&D

The restructuring of the National Research Council (NRC) is picking up steam with the renewal of another group of community innovation clusters and significant progress on the realignment of research activity into nine sectors encompassing expertise from across the agency. The NRC's evolution reflects the thrust of its new strategic and business plans that aim to make it easier for business to access key R&D talent and infrastructure and ensure that technology development and industry needs coincide .

Last week, renewed funding for the second of six clusters was announced as part of an overall $118-reinvestment (see chart). The Ottawa photonics cluster received $22.3 million while Edmonton's nanotechnology cluster received $36 million. Both awards are over three years to bring them into line with the Atlantic cluster that were renewed two years ago for a five-year period. Two remaining clusters in Charlottetown and Regina will be renewed next year for two years.

"This will allow us to evaluate all clusters on the same time frame," says NRC president Dr Pierre Coulombe. "We believe it will provide us with enough time for a broad an accurate evaluation."

More fundamental work is also proceeding on the new NRC strategy with the preparation of business plans for every institute and major central department. The massive undertaking is intended to feed into the alignment of research expertise within NRC along the priority sectors. The objective is to highlight the critical expertise NRC possesses in support of these sectors while de-emphasizing the profile of individual institutes.

Aerospace furthest advanced

Of the first three sectors (aerospace, construction and automotive) aerospace is furthest advanced. An Office of NRC Aerospace (ONA) has been created with the Institute of Aerospace Research (IAR) at its core. The ONA pulls in research expertise from other institutes that have expertise that's relevant to technological challenges facing the aerospace industry such as composite materials, air cabin quality and adoption of alternative fuels.

IAR is the NRC's largest institute with more than 300 personnel and an annual budget of approximately $50 million, Split between Ottawa and Montreal, 60% of its research programs are strictly aerospace and is dependent upon external collaboration for about half of its revenues. It is also the entry point for the ONA.

"Diversification is needed to link our competencies to other areas such as energy and automotive. It (the realignment) is having a positive impact although it's still new. Great excitement is building," says IAR DG Jerzy Komorowski.

A steering committee comprised of relevant DGs is charged with developing an overall strategic plan for the sector while a working group of directors and senior research officers will identify key competencies across the NRC. The ONA is utilizing the NATO technology readiness level (RTL) scale that categories R&D activity from fundamental research (Level 1) to full development and validation (Level 9). Routinely embedded in the research and technology planning strategies of aerospace companies and the military, the RTL scale allows the ONA to determine which institutes within the NRC need to collaborate to provide a full solution for targeted technologies required by industry.

"Once we identify our competencies across the NRC we'll market them to industry. We'll also invite industry leaders to tell us what they need in the near future (up to five years) and technologies they want developed," says Komorowski. "The IAR is an engineering-focused institute so we're involved in critical technology development. We do some basic research when we can't find partners and have a need. Universities often help us with this."

The strategic plan for aerospace is also being modified to reflect emerging technology requirements in the sector. The environment has been added to cost, weight and safety as the primary drivers in aerospace — an area in which the NRC has much to offer. Environmental considerations are driving the industry to seek technological solutions in the areas of alternative fuels and interior air quality.

The ONA recently held a workshop to develop a technological response to growing demand for alternative fuel sources, pulling together a diverse range of research expertise to address the issue.

"It was extremely exciting. We had representatives for marine and plant biology, environmental chemistry, fuel cells and other disciplines. We were all together and it made a lot of sense," says Komorowski. "We need fundamental combustion research for how alternative fuels burn and impact on materials in engines like turbines. Aerospace fuels have a high energy density so ethanol is no good for this, but marine plants are more promising, and don't encroach on agricultural land. We need to de-risk the technology before industry picks up on it."

The ONA is also making progress in the field of interior air quality, anticipating that industry will eventually see this as an area that requires new technologies. Drawing on expertise resident within the NRC's Institute for Research in Construction, the ONA will be able to tap into that institute's A-base funding and extensive contacts with industry.

"We're at a starting point. This year we'll further consult with industry and do some roadmapping for needs in sustainable technologies," says Komorowski.

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