Eaton Advances the Energy Transition and Boosts Education Partnerships With New Montreal Innovation Center
November 22, 2023
Eaton has recently announced the opening of its newest global Innovation Center near Montreal in Brossard, Quebec, following nearly four decades of developing cutting-edge software in the region.
At the 35,000-square-foot space, Eaton will accelerate the research and development of distributed energy resource (DER) technologies enabling sustainable electricity for buildings, homes, industry and the electric grid. Eaton is bringing approximately 150 highly specialized jobs to Brossard, creating a local hub for power industry professionals with plans to grow in the region.
Availability of renewable energy is soaring globally and expected to reach a total installed capacity of more than 440 gigawatts this year, the largest increase to date. The latest Eaton Innovation Center focuses on developing advanced solutions to optimize DERs by bringing together multiple disciplines, including cybersecurity, software, human-centered design and automation experts.
“At Eaton, we’re investing $3 billion in research and development targeted at sustainable solutions by 2030. The work we’ll do here will break traditional boundaries of what electrical systems can do and enable far more flexibility in how electricity is generated, distributed and used to accelerate a more sustainable future,” said Michael Regelski, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Electrical Sector at Eaton.
“Investments in innovation and industry education are crucial to meet clean energy and electrification goals. We need our industry collaborators, like Eaton, working alongside us to test and develop the new solutions needed to integrate more renewables faster, while also inspiring and training the next generation of engineers,” Alexandre Roy, manager, strategic sourcing at Hydro-Québec.
Eaton will continue its longtime relationships with ÉTS Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke, McGill, Université Concordia, Université de Montréal and others to increase the industry workforce. Many of Eaton’s employees in the area are alumni of these institutions.
“We have a long history of developing pioneering IT enterprise systems for utility customers in this region, and collaborating with the world-class universities based here,” said Thierry Godart, Eaton vice president and general manager for energy automation solutions. “We’re excited to open the doors in Canada to our latest state-of-the-art research center, where our diverse and bilingual population will foster collaboration around the world.”
“We are thrilled that Eaton has chosen Brossard to open its first Innovation Center in Canada. We take pride in knowing that cutting-edge technologies developed in this facility will enable the production of even more sustainable electricity. Knowing that this new Innovation Center will provide quality jobs in our community is great news by itself. But knowing that these jobs will have a positive impact on our environment for years to come is something we should all rejoice in,” says Doreen Assaad, mayor, City of Brossard.
L’ÉTS is proud to develop innovative research projects with Eaton. The energy transition and the development of optimization solutions are undeniable challenges for which companies like Eaton and technological universities like ÉTS have a strong interest in collaborating. The inauguration of the new Eaton Innovation Center in Brossard is excellent news and certainly represents an opportunity to develop ambitious research programs between our organizations,” stated Christian Casanova, executive director of research and partnerships at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS).
Eaton has a network of manufacturing locations in Canada that build medium- and low-voltage power distribution equipment for commercial, residential and industrial applications. The company is focused on developing innovative solutions that enable customers to conserve resources, decrease emissions and energy consumption, and make smart energy decisions—all while increasing safety, reliability and resilience. Learn more about Eaton’s approach to the energy transition.
