AUTO21 Network of Centres of Excellence

www.auto21.ca

The automotive industry is one of Canada's largest economic sectors. It accounts for more than $100 billion annually. Canada is the eighth largest producer of cars and trucks in the world. Its auto industry produces more than 12 per cent of manufacturing gross national product and provides high-quality employment to more than half a million Canadians, including 21 per cent of manufacturing jobs in Ontario.

AUTO21's mission is to create a dynamic Canadian research and development community that contributes to a sustainable, globally competitive Canadian automotive sector resulting in enhanced quality of life for Canadians. The Network's vision will help build a stronger automotive sector through excellence in public/private sector collaborative research and the development of human and social capital.

AUTO21 supports an extensive and integrated multidisciplinary research program grouped in six themes: health, safety and injury prevention; societal issues and the automobile; materials and manufacturing; powertrains, fuels and emissions; design processes; and intelligent systems and sensors. These six themes reflect the strong influence the automobile has on the daily lives of Canadians.

Fuel cells offer exciting opportunities and challenges for the automotive sector. Already considered a global leader in this emerging area, the prospects for Canadian companies and researchers remain strong. A fuel cell vehicle uses a combination of hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity for its operation. Since energy is produced in the form of electricity instead of in a combustion reaction like traditional automotive engines, polluting emissions are virtually eliminated. The only by-product is water.

In collaboration with industry, AUTO21 supports a team of researchers at 13 Canadian universities working on four fuel cell-related projects. The projects investigate strategic aspects of fuel cell technology, from short-term remedies that help pave the way to the hydrogen highway to long-term solutions when mass commercial use of the technology is implemented.

One project investigates how bridging technologies such as the use of reformers, which extract hydrogen from petroleum-based and other fuels, can be used on board a vehicle or as part of a hydrogen re-fuelling infrastructure. Another project investigates how to best develop and establish that infrastructure as well as how best to store hydrogen on board a vehicle. Another project is helping to ensure the fuel cell components and systems being developed are the best possible options for the future. Previous AUTO21 projects in this area have resulted in several patents and results have been used to develop global and Canadian fuel cell standards and regulations.

AUTO21 research has attracted global attention. In November 2004, Network researchers visited the Japan Automotive Research Institute to discuss potential collaborations on safety and injury prevention research.

To date, AUTO21 research has resulted in nearly 20 patents filed or issued. As well, four licenses are in process for new technologies.

AUTO21's HQP Development Strategy is anchored by the annual HQP Conference, a three-day event where HQP learn more about the Network's research and the Canadian automotive sector. Students visit automotive facilities to see technology in action and attend presentations by leading industry experts and AUTO21 researchers. A strong multidisciplinary approach is used for all group activities to encourage team members to think of automotive issues from the point of view of other fields of study. Poster and networking competitions also challenge the students to think outside the box.

AUTO21 also provides assistance to help researchers attend the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress, a leading annual automotive conference. The Congress offers more than 1,000 technical sessions on a variety of auto-related research as well as an industrial exhibition where the latest technologies are featured.

These two activities help support AUTO21's objective of providing meaningful training opportunities for researchers and students to work with Canada's best research minds while collaborating with Canada's automotive industry.

Provincial Reach:

Click on image for bigger view

Distribution of Research Personnel in 2004-2005

For more information visit the AUTO21 Web site.