The intersection of innovation and opportunity

Leading the nation’s innovative research and development in the area of petrochemicals, bio-industrial based manufacturing, agritech, cleantech and engineering while driving sustainably, Sarnia-Lambton proves to be one of the prominent hubs of economic development in the Southwestern Ontario region. This is not only evident from the notable solutions coming from the region but is also attributed to their strategic geographic location on the Canada-USA border and the location of a world-class research and development center, the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park. “When some corporate research centers moved away from Sarnia in the early 2000s, local visionary leaders, along with Western University, understood the importance of research and development to this region,” says Dr. Katherine Albion, Executive Director of the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park.   

Established in 2003, this 80-acre facility is a joint venture between the County of Lambton, the City of Sarnia and Western University, founded to advance ventures and innovations in various industries. Offering commercial lab spaces,one-of-its-kind pilot plant space, office suites and a full-service cafe, the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park is buzzing with innovators and academia creating an environment of collaboration and community. “We have a great community here. Along with our local innovation partners, we established the Innovation Bridge Commercialization Alliance, to create a one-stop-shop for innovative companies to access resources or niche skills to become established and thrive in Sarnia-Lambton,” shares Albion. As a network of key innovation organizations based in Sarnia-Lambton, the Innovation Bridge helps companies access skills, infrastructure and business programs needed to take an innovation from the idea stage through to commercial production within the ecosystem.    

Another unique offering of the facility is its state-of-the-art pilot plant space, an area that facilitates the development of ideas and prototypes at a larger scale before moving into commercial production. Albion states that Canada doesn’t offer many commercialization spaces, so this is very unique to the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park. “This space provides companies with access to commercial production infrastructure including high bay ceiling heights, and large capacities of electricity and utilities required for commercialization,” adds Albion. Two of the region’s success stories, Origin Materials and Forward Water Technologies, are tenants growing due to the use of this cutting-edge space.

A leading technology company with a mission to enable the world’s transition to sustainable materials, Origin Materials is a California-based company that found its roots in Canada when the opportunity to set up shop in Sarnia arose. The company has developed a platform for turning carbon found in biomass into useful materials such as clothing, textiles, packaging etc., while also capturing the carbon in the process. Serving global companies such as PepsiCo. and Nestle, this worldwide known innovative company has been working at the Park since 2017.

When it comes to Forward Water Technologies, their move to Sarnia was led by their motive of lowering operational costs and taking advantage of the pilot plant space in the Park. A sustainable desalinating and water-purifying proprietary technology, Forward Water Technologies helps recycle industrial water to reduce water costs and environmental footprints for factories and industrial sites. Originally founded in Kingston, the company’s R&D was in Toronto till they discovered the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park. “The Park had everything that was essential for our growth and operations including labs, engineering spaces, and office spaces – all at very reasonable prices as compared to the GTA. The additional access to all the resources we require including industrial support and finding talent with niche skills is all so easily available here in Sarnia-Lambton,” says Dr. Howie Honeyman, Chief Executive Officer of Forward Water Technologies.  

While the Innovation Bridge Commercialization Alliance is partly responsible for creating streams of resources for all innovators in the region, one of the other major contributors and, in fact, a point of attraction proves to be the presence of the Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) in the region. A not-for-profit biotechnology-focused organization, BIC provides strategic investment, business advice and technical services to founders, entrepreneurs and innovators of clean, green and sustainable technologies. Facilitating this through investment, technical support, and business advisory services, the organization has played a crucial role in the scaling of Origin Materials, and many other Sarnia-based companies. “The Research Park, Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP) and Bioindustrial Innovation Canada have been great collaborators in the world of economic and business development. The Park’s infrastructure assets, and lab spaces, coupled with the advisory support offered by SLEP and BIC together, have helped to create the perfect landing pad for businesses looking to validate their technology and build their vision,” says Meaghan Seagrave, Executive Director at Bioindustrial Innovation Canada.   

That’s not all – the region boasts of having talent with niche skills, and expertise in areas of applied research, engineering and more. Thanks to Lambton College, one of Ontario’s most prominent educational institutions based out of this region. With four dedicated spaces in the Park, the College collaborates with Park in the typical academic-industry partnership to accelerate Lambton’s applied research initiatives through their Lambton Manufacturing Innovation Centre (LMIC). With companies working out of the Park colliding with these researchers, accessing talent for internships, co-ops and employment opportunities, the presence of Lambton College proves to be vital for the Park on both sides – the innovators and the talent itself. Dr. Mehdi Sheikhzadeh, Senior Vice-President, Research & Innovation at Lambton College adds, “As one of Canada’s largest clean-tech incubators, the Research Park provides essential infrastructure and support that accelerates projects from concept to commercialization. This collaboration not only drives economic, environmental, and social impact but also ensures that our community remains at the forefront of technological advancement and entrepreneurial growth. Moreover, it plays a crucial role in training the future workforce by providing students with hands-on experience in cutting-edge projects, preparing them to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving job market.”  

Estimating a $1B impact on the Sarnia-Lambton region, the Park has successfully attracted new innovators, companies, investments resulting in job creation over the 20 years of its existence.  The Sarnia-Lambton region has a bright future in front of them as mentioned by Albion in their plan to increase research capacity through more lab space, attracting new research-based companies to the region and establishing technology hubs. With its proven track record and ambitious future plans, the Western Sarnia-Lambton Research Park is poised to further cement its role as a cornerstone of innovation and economic growth in Canada. The next chapter promises even greater opportunities, driving the region toward a prosperous and technologically advanced future.