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KELOWNA, B.C. — The University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus is set to receive a $2 million investment by the province to start a battery innovation centre. 

The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation says in a statement that work at the centre will “focus on research and development of new battery technologies.”

Minister Josie Osborne says as reliance on battery-powered devices by people and industry grows, the project will create jobs and bolster the Okanagan’s “role as a battery and critical-mineral hub.”

The ministry says the centre is the first of its kind in Western Canada and will serve as a hub for testing and scaling up battery technologies that are potentially more efficient, safer and cheaper than lithium-ion batteries. 

The centre will be part of the university’s Cleantech Hub, which was set up with federal government funding in 2021 to support academic-industry collaborations.

The province says the funding will go toward construction and equipment costs for a facility within the centre that will make “pouch cells” for use in medical devices and other applications.

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