A group of University of Calgary (U of C) researchers looking to make clean energy technology more efficient and affordable has received $4.25 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).
Announced last Friday, the funding will support the recently-formed Centre for Far-From-Equilibrium Nanostructured Cleantech Materials (CeFar), which consists of 10 labs across the university’s Schulich School of Engineering and the Faculty of Science.
Dr. Milana Trifkovic, U of C
“If you want to go toward net zero, it boils down to understanding how do we actually make these technologies more accessible.”
CeFar studies materials under “far-from-equilibrium” conditions—states where energy is continuously flowing through a system, rather than sitting in a stable, low-energy balance. To reach that state, researchers drive energy like electricity, heat, or light, through the material and then observe how those materials behave, allowing them to access new properties that don’t exist at an equilibrium state. By doing so, researchers can optimize materials for better performance in technologies such as batteries, fuel cells, electrolyzers, and other cleantech applications.
The centre’s goal is to bridge the gap between research and the market, helping scale clean technology toward wider public adoption.
CFI’s investment will aid in expanding CeFar’s research capabilities, including funding the addition of cutting-edge tools that researchers use to observe and manipulate materials in a far-from-equilibrium environment.
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“If you want to go toward net zero, it boils down to understanding how do we actually make these technologies more accessible in terms of cost, how do we prolong their durability, and how do we enhance their efficiencies?” said Dr. Milana Trifkovic, an associate dean of research innovation with the Schulich School of Engineering and the co-leader of CeFar, in a press release.
“That’s the major bottleneck to their widespread adoption today,” Trifkovic added.
With that goal in mind, CeFar’s research spans the entire innovation value chain, from material development to testing to commercialization. One lab may focus on researching breakthrough materials, while another tests their effectiveness. Still another’s focus is commercialization, studying how best to translate outcomes into practical devices capable of powering clean technologies such as electric vehicles, batteries, and more.Established in early 2026, CeFar is looking to train more than 150 students and postdoctoral candidates annually.
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Feature Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.