ACE facilitates business developnment on behalf of MMRI and more broadly UBC, for connecting community stakeholders with researchers, in support of defining and launching collaborative projects to address technical barriers and accelerate the adpotion of circular economy practices.
Upon receiving outreach and expressions of interest, the ACE management team will initiate discussion with the organization to better understand their activities and business model, the challenges they are facing, and the technical support they are seeking from the UBC team. A preliminary assessment of the impact potential of the project will be made to inform future planning towards maximizing the benefits to the company. A short proposal will then be prepared collaboratively to outline the objectives of collaboration and the activities undertaken by ACE to assist the organization. Various options to fund the project will be explored. These include no-fee opportunities (e.g. the UBC-NRC IRAP Circular Economy Seed Funding), Mitacs, NSERC Alliance, Eminence funds (e.g. UBC Plastics Recycling Research Cluster), among others. Depending on its scope, each project can either become a short-term (4-5 months) project for multiple graduate/undergraduate students, or a long-term (1.5-3 years) thesis projects.
The following lists are of projects completed under the ACE program, categorized by partner organization type and co-investment approach.
| Project title | Partner organization | Lead faculty researcher | Funding program |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3D printed bio composites for EMI shielding application | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. | Mohammad Arjmand | Mitacs |
| 3D Printing Filaments | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. | Mohammad Arjmand | Mitacs |
| A Feasibility Study on Hard Carbon Production from Hemp | Sunlogics Power Fund | Frank Ko | Alberta Innovates |
| Advancing Sports Bra Comfort Development - Phase I: Custom Test Rig Design and Exploratory Analysis | Lululemon | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| ALT TEX Circular Textile-grade Polymer Synthesis | Alt Tex | Parisa Mehrkhodavandi | Mitacs |
| Assessing the anerobic biodegradation of nitrile polymers with bioderived additives | FEED Engineering Inc. | Cigdem Eskicioglu | Mitacs |
| Biocementation for mining waste management | Teck Metals, Rio Tinto, BGC engineering, Koonkie | Joseph Dahmen | GenomeBC - GeneSolve |
| Biogenic Mycelium Feedstocks for 3D printed Architecture | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. | Joseph Dahmen | Mitacs |
| Converting Polyethylene Plastic Waste into Value-added Polymer Nanocomposites | Imperial Oil | Mohammad Arjmand | Direct contract |
| CREATE Immersive Technologies (CITech) | Hytec/Kohler Inc. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs and NSERC |
| Curing and characterization of tire tread reclaimed rubber towards enhanced physical properties | Circular Rubber Technologies | Mohammad Arjmand | Mitacs |
| Developing a Multicriteria Feasibility Assessment Model for Hemp-based Biocomposite Supply Chains Including Sociotechnical and Environmental Factors: A Case Study in Western Canada | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Developing an Adaptive Digital Twin for Denture Surface Quality Control during CNC Micro-Milling | Perfit Dental Solutions Inc | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Development and Prototype of Safe and High-Energy Electric Double-Layer Capacitors - Part 4 | Atlas Power Technologies | Jian Liu | Mitacs |
| Development of bio-based non-isocyanate polyurethane | Polychem Consulting Solutions | Parisa Mehrkhodavandi | Mitacs |
| Development of functionalized electrospun nanocomposite membrane using dendritic polymers | Delta-Dolsk Inc and Hytec/Kohler Inc. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Development of lignin-based polymers and nanomaterials for high performance engineering applications | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Eutectic Electrolytes for Low-temperature Aqueous Zinc-ion Capacitors | Atlas Power Technologies | Jian Liu | Mitacs |
| Eye Virus detection | Lumex Inc. | Sepideh Pakpour | Mitacs |
| Flexible nanocomposite films with electromagnetic interference shielding properties | Province of British Columbia, Nanosafeair Inc., Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada | Mohammad Arjmand | Mitacs |
| FortisBC-UBCO Collaborative Research Project: Smart Energy Chair | FortisBC Inc. | Kasun Hewage | Mitacs |
| FortisBC-UBCO Collaborative Research Project: Smart Energy Chair Extension | FortisBC Inc. | Kasun Hewage | Mitacs |
| Graphene-based Corrosion Protective Coatings | ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. | Mohammad Arjmand | Mitacs |
| In vitro evaluation and understanding of fabrics interaction with skin cells and dominant skin microbiome: a concurrent material degradation | Lululemon | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| In Vitro Evaluation and Understanding of Natural Fabrics Interaction with Skin Cells and Dominant Skin Microbiome | Lululemon | Sepideh Pakpour | Mitacs |
| Influence of Chemical Dyes on Polyethylene Terephthalate Polymerization | Sixone Labs | Parisa Mehrkhodavandi | Mitacs |
| ITMO potential of gaseous fuel in Canada | ALTA Gas | Kasun Hewage | NSERC |
| Li4Ti5O12/Hard Carbon Anode for Fast-Charging Batteries for Grid Applications | Tycor UPS | Jian Liu | Mitacs |
| Life Cycle Assessment to Inform Potential for Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes in Canada’s LNG Industry | FortisBC Inc. | Kasun Hewage | NSERC |
| Lithium titanate nanocomposites for hybrid supercapacitors | Tycor UPS | Frank Ko | Clean Resource Innovation Network |
| Materials and Interface Design for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries | Fenix Advanced Materials | Jian Liu | Mitacs |
| Micro Carbon Capture and Utilization: A Canadian Solution for Low-Carbon Heating with Natural Gas | CleanO2 | Kasun Hewage | NSERC |
| Microbial Cu recovery | Teck Metals, Rio Tinto, Koonkie | Joseph Dahmen | GenomeBC - GeneSolve |
| Modeling and Optimisation of Woven Composite Hydraulic Tubes, to Reduce In-Service Defects and Failures | Niedner Inc. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| MURPH Program | Perfit Dental Solutions | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Plastics recycling research cluster | Zentek Ltd. | Mohammad Arjmand | Mitacs |
| Post-consumer plastics recycling | Recycling Alternative | Mohammad Arjmand | Mitacs |
| Preliminary investigation into the use of biocomposites for a solar panel support truss system | Terrasol Geosolar Inc. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Prototyping of Rigid Polyurethane Foam Insulation Using Recycled Polymer Materials | FOAM ECOSOLUTION INNOVATION INC. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Replacing Airport Luggage Handling Infrastructure Legacy Materials with Low-Footprint Alternatives: Phase I - FeasibilityStudy | Vanderlande Industries Canada Inc. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Replacing Legacy Materials of Aquatic Play Structures with Flexible, Durable and Low-Footprint Alternatives | Waterplay Solutions | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Robust Design, Fabrication and Characterization of Slip-Resistant Micro and Nanoreinforced Polymeric Shoe Soles with Surface Patterning | Zentek Ltd. | Mohammad Arjmand | Mitacs |
| Synthesis of Graphene Nanomaterials and Development of Their Multifunctional Polymer Nanocomposites | ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. | Mohammad Arjmand | NSERC |
| The effect of indoor light spectrum and intensity on viability and infectivity of indoor pathogens on different surface materials | View Inc. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Thermo-Physical Assessment of Select Clothing (Synthetic and Natrual Fibers) | Lululemon | Abbas Milani | Direct contract |
| Towards Biomass Antimicrobial Aerogel Insulators in 3D Printed Homes | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Towards Biomass Antimicrobial Aerogel Insulators in 3D Printed Homes | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Towards development of a biodegradable polymer for use in single-use surgical gloves | FEED Engineering Inc. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Towards Development of a Transparent Surgical Mask | Vision Composites Inc. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Towards Development of a Transparent Surgical Mask - Phase II | Vision Composites Inc. | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Understanding the effect of the oral microbiome on the performance of dental implant crown materials | Perfit Dental Solutions Inc | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Using CO2 incorporation and lignin to polyol conversion to develop sustainable bio-based non-isocyanate polyurethane rigid foams | Polychem Consulting Solutions | Parisa Mehrkhodavandi | NSERC |
| Virus detection on a chip | Lumex Inc. | Sepideh Pakpour | Mitacs |
| Waste based Aerogels | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. | Sepideh Pakpour | Mitacs |
| Waste based Aerogels | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. | Sepideh Pakpour | Direct contract |
| Project title | Partner organization | Lead faculty researcher | Funding program |
|---|---|---|---|
| “One Health” Syst-Omics approach to reduce Campylobacter in agri-food chain | Genome BC | Parisa Mehrkhodavandi | Genome BC |
| A novel approach to the design and optimization of timber tiles logistical process using discrete-event simulations | Timber Tiles Inc. | Babak Tosarkani | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| A path towards net-zero energy communities in Southeast Alaska | United States Forest Service | Kasun Hewage | Direct contract |
| A wearable, immersive based vein finder fabricated with sustainable material options | VanTech Med | Abbas Milani | NSERC |
| Acoustic Panel Material Testing & R&D | Seacork Studio Inc. | Julie Lessard | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Activation of Vitamin B12 in Seaweed to promote circular & sustainable food cycle | Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds | Anubhav Pratap-Singh | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Advanced Electromagnetic Shields for Unmanned Ground and Aerial Vehicle Platforms | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. | Mohammad Arjmand | Advanced Biocarbon 3D Ltd. |
| Advanced Wearable Antennas and Absorption-dominant Electromagnetic Shields | Department of National Defence | Mohammad Arjmand | Department of National Defence |
| Advancing Circular Economy through Seed Vessel Technology for Post-Fire Ecological Restoration | Faster Forests Inc. | Hossein Kazemian | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| An innovative and energy-efficient radio frequency pretreatment on emerging micropollutants and transformation products in anaerobic sludge digestion for waste reuse | European Union | Cigdem Eskicioglu | European Union |
| Assessing Techno-economic Strategies of a Novel Fiberglass Recycling Approach for Boat Industry | Resolve Composites Inc. | Abbas Milani | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Assisting Canadian SMEs to Implement Circular Economy Strategies Round 3 | Various | Abbas Milani | IRAP |
| BiMat: Synthetic biology enabled materials science for high performance biocomposites | N/A | Frank Ko | CFI |
| Biocomposite from spent bentonite | Elephant Island Winery | Sumi Siddiqua | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Bioconversion of citrus peel residues to edible protein as an enabler of total valorization | Tait Laboratories | Vikramaditya G. Yadav | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Biodegradability and ecotoxicity of plant-fiber based products | Plant Plus Inc. | Hossein Kazemian | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Biodegradability assessment of prototype moulded pulp takeout food containers | Red Leaf Pulp | Chunping Dai | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Characterization of biocomposite panels | Calmura Wall | Sumi Siddiqua | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Circular 3D: re-utilization of powders for nano additive manufacturing | Nanogrande | Lucas Hof | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Comparing lifecycle performance of prefabricated light gauge steel frames and timber frames for residential projects | Build Smartr Inc. | Qian Chen | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Comparison of mechanical and solvent-based recycling methods for the establishment of anefficient polystyrene circular economy | Polystyvert | Patrick Lee | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Compostability of produced biodegradable films in aerobic lab facilities: Degradation Rate Analysis | Browns Bay Packaging | Hossein Kazemian | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Design and optimization of biodegradable personal protective equipment | Myant Inc. | Babak Tosarkani | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Development and lifecycle assessment of the electrified plastic waste recycling technology | GreeNovel | Yaser Khojasteh | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Development of bio-Carbon from lumber industry waste by-products | Our Blue Planet | Lukas Bichler | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Development of recyclable metal-infused feedstock for 3D printing in the context of circular manufacturing | VPM Research Inc. | Lucas Hof | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Discovery & Characterization of Functional Mycelium Materials | N/A | Joseph Dahmen | NSERC |
| Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of a Biodegradable Polymer Blend for Flexible Food Packaging | FEED Clean Tech Inc. | Abbas Milani | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Establishing a Baseline: Life Cycle Assessment for Black Fox | Black Fox Farm and Distillery | Abbas Milani | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Evaluation of the suitability of existing diesel powertrain materials for hydrogen-fueled combustion engines | Hydra Energy Corporation Inc. | Dimitry Sediako | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Exploration of Main Group Metals in Catalysis in the Green Polymer Laboratory | N/A | Parisa Mehrkhodavandi | NSERC |
| Fabrication of 3D Printed Hemp/Polymer Composites with Enhanced Mechanical Properties | KF Hemp | Mohammad Arjmand | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Flax Fiber Composites Fomring Process Optimization | Terrasol Geosolar Inc. | Abbas Milani | UBC |
| Go Green: Opening the new era of green photosynthetic living nanofabric for sustainable future | N/A | Frank Ko | NFRF |
| Graphene-enhanced natural fiber reinforced composites for protective footwear and other high-performance applications | Zentek Ltd. | Yasmine Abdin | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| High-Energy and Low-Temperature Pseudocapacitor Energy Storage Technology for Post-Pandemic Green Economic Recovery | Atlas Power Technologies | Jian Liu | NSERC |
| Impact of Impurities on Polyethylene Terephthalate Polymerization | Sixone Labs | Parisa Mehrkhodavandi | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| In vitro evaluation and understanding of fabrics interaction with skin cells and dominant skin microbiome: a concurrent material degradation and health implication | Lululemon | Abbas Milani | NSERC |
| Integrating Architecture with Sustainable Forest Management | N/A | Joseph Dahmen | UBC |
| Life cycle analysis and consumption-based greenhouse house gas accounting of liquefied natural gas | FortisBC | Kasun Hewage | Mitacs |
| Life Cycle Analysis of BC Bioproducts: Environmental Performance Phase | British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development | Kasun Hewage | British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Land, and Natural Resource Operations |
| Life Cycle Assessment of Resin Grades and Their Applications in Sustainable Product Design | CTK Research and Development Canada | Abbas Milani | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Life cycle thinking based low-impact construction strategies for Canadian micro-communities | N/A | Kasun Hewage | NSERC |
| Lignins for Energy Storage (Year 1) | British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development | Jian Liu | British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Land, and Natural Resource Operations |
| Lignins for Energy Storage (Year 2) | British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development | Jian Liu | British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Land, and Natural Resource Operations |
| Mend the Gap: A Transformative Biomaterials Platform for Spinal Cord Repair | N/A | Frank Ko | NFRF |
| Microbial Cells for Sustainable Living | N/A | Joseph Dahmen | NFRF and UBC |
| Modeling and optimisation of woven composite hydraulic tubes, to reduce in-service defects and failures Phase II | Niedner Inc. | Abbas Milani | NFRF |
| Modular Personal Protective Ensembles Utilizing Omniphobic and Antimicrobial Coatings for Enhanced Protection Against COVID-19 | PRE Labs, Inc. | Sepideh Pakpour | DND Ideas |
| Mycelium-based Modular Composting Toilet | N/A | Joseph Dahmen | UBC |
| Mycelium-based Modular Composting Toilet | N/A | Joseph Dahmen | NFRF |
| Novel processing of agri-food (grains) by GentleProcessing Technologies and its applications in utilizing agri-food waste and improved food safety benefits | Quantum Mechanical Technology Inc. (Gentle Processing) | Venkatesh Meda | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| NSERC CREATE in Product Design for Human Comfort | Lululemon | Sepideh Pakpour | NSERC |
| NSERC/Metro Vancouver Industrial Research Chair in Advanced Resource Recovery from Wastewater | Metro Vancouver | Cigdem Eskicioglu | NSERC |
| NSERC/Metro Vancouver Industrial Research Chair in Advanced Resource Recovery from Wastewater | Metro Vancouver | Cigdem Eskicioglu | NSERC |
| Paper-Based Weather Resistant Membrane for Building Applications | FPINNOVATIONS (FPI) | Sepideh Pakpour | UBC |
| Plastic Recycling Network towards Affordable 3D Printed Homes | Zentek Ltd. Recycling Alternative, Advanced BioCarbon 3D Ltd. | Mohammad Arjmand | Zentek Ltd. Recycling Alternative, Advanced BioCarbon 3D Ltd. |
| Preliminary investigation into the use of biocomposites for a solar panel support truss system | Terrasol Geosolar Inc. | Abbas Milani | NSERC |
| Recycling of polyurethane foam waste | Polymer Recycling Technologies | Abbas Milani | Innovate BC |
| Recycling of polyurethane foam waste | Polymer Recycling Technologies | Abbas Milani | NSERC |
| Replacing airport luggage handling infrastructure legacy materials with low-footprint alternatives: | Vanderlande Industries Canada Inc. | Abbas Milani | NSERC |
| Science Horizons Youth Internship Program | N/A | Joseph Dahmen | Environment and Climate Change Canada |
| Solid Carbon Material from Carbon Dioxide Capture and Utilization: A Renewable Filler for Composites | Catena Carbon Industries Inc. | Mohammad Arjmand | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Solid-State Lithium Tellurium-Sulfur Battery for Clean Transportation | Fenix Advanced Materials | Jian Liu | Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions |
| Sustainable Supply Chain Design for Sawmills: A Novel Techno-Economic Analysis, Multi-Objective Optimization, and Industry 4.0-enabled Decision Support Tool | Basque Regional Government | Abbas Milani | Mitacs |
| Sustainable, resilient and healthy built environments: An integrated approach | View Inc., DLR, Advanced BioCarbon 3D Ltd. | Sepideh Pakpour | NSERC |
| Temperature phased anaerobic digestion with archaea bioaugmentor for Lulu Island wastewater treatment plant digester upgrade | Metro Vancouver | Cigdem Eskicioglu | NSERC |
| Temperature phased anaerobic digestion with archaea bioaugmentor for Lulu Island wastewater treatment plant digester upgrade | Greater Vancouver Sewerage & Drainage District | Cigdem Eskicioglu | NSERC |
| Testing the anti-bacterial efficiency of developed enzyme-based hand sanitizer | Probiosphere | Satinder Kaur Brar | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Toward automation of recycling of PET | NetZero Enterprises | Abbas Milani | NSERC |
| Towards Development of a Transparent Surgical Mask - Phase II | Vision Composites Inc. | Abbas Milani | NSERC |
| Transforming Plastic Waste into Value-Added Polymer Composites | Recycling Alternatives | Mohammad Arjmand | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| UBC Biocomposites Research Network | N/A | Parisa Mehrkhodavandi | UBC |
| Understanding the seasonal impacts of microplastic inhalation on health | N/A | Sepideh Pakpour | NFRF |
| Unrestricted Research | Lululemon | Sepideh Pakpour | UBC |
| Valorization of cellulose pulp to biodegradable food packaging foams with lignin reinforcement | Browns Bay Packaging | Hossein Kazemian | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Wastewater treatment on effluent produced from hydrothermal liquefaction process using agro-food waste | NULIFE Greentech Inc | Venkatesh Meda | IRAP-MMRI Circular Economy Seed Funding program |
| Water to bricks: harnessing fungal metabolism for sustainable biosolids architecture | N/A | Joseph Dahmen | UBC |
Below are some examples of on-going and completed projects. Please contact the Program Manager for more information on projects and to get involved with ACE.
