Source: Inside NC
On March 10, Niagara College (NC) officially welcomed the Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada (AKBSC) team to its new office space at the Welland Campus.
The company, whose lithium-ion battery separator plant will bring highly skilled, well-paying jobs to the Niagara region, is leasing office space at NC while its facility is being built in Port Colborne.
“The presence of the Asahi Kasei team at the College is a shining example of how we support the success of new and existing employers in Niagara,” said NC President Sean Kennedy. “It is a chance to connect the company with the programs, students – and nationally-recognized research and innovation work – that will support the growth and success of Asahi Kasei in Niagara.”
The leased space is the latest example of close collaboration between Niagara College and Asahi Kasei Battery Separator, a Japanese-based corporation focused on creating innovative solutions for the global battery market. The lithium-ion battery separators to be produced at its Port Colborne facility are among the most highly engineered and critical components of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and other energy storage applications.
“Since announcing plans to establish our first North American plant in Port Colborne last May, we have been incredibly grateful for the support of the local community, including Niagara College,” said Samuel A. Mills, President of Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada Corporation. “As we move into our new office space on campus, we are excited to further enhance this partnership – collaborating with the college to develop training initiatives and other programs that will create valuable career pathways for students and graduates, while helping us build a strong, local workforce for our new facility.”
Asahi Kasei’s offices will be located on the second floor of the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (WAMIC) – a hub for advanced manufacturing research and innovation at Canada’s top-ranked research college. WAMIC is a state-of-the-art facility at NC with leading-edge equipment and software where students, faculty, and researchers support advanced manufacturing and technology companies wishing to innovate, grow, and compete in the global marketplace.
The office – with meeting and workspace for up to 20 staff – will be the primary work location for Asahi Kasei’s administrative and business teams. Those involved directly with construction will remain at the work site in Port Colborne.
During Asahi Kasei’s site selection process for its plant, Niagara College was engaged by the Niagara Region Economic Development office to facilitate an understanding of NC’s technology and trades facilities and capabilities, and its ability to address workforce needs.
With Asahi Kasei as part of its campus, NC will deepen the partnership, providing access to the expertise of its Research & Innovation division, faculty, staff, and specialized labs in Engineering Technology and Trades programs to ensure that students and graduates are prepared for rewarding careers at the new Port Colborne facility.
“We are very pleased to welcome Asahi Kasei to Niagara College and look forward to continued collaboration,” said President Kennedy. “There will be countless opportunities for us to work together to identify specific training needs and to develop new programming to address these needs.”
About Niagara College
Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 95 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.
About Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Corporation
In the spring of 2024, Asahi Kasei announced that it will construct an integrated lithium-ion battery (LIB) separator plant in Port Colborne, investing $1.56 billion in production capacity to support North American demand for clean energy and electric vehicles. Operating as Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada, the project is expected to create highly skilled, good paying jobs in manufacturing and construction. The start of commercial production is currently slated for 2027.
About Asahi Kasei
The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world as a diversified group of companies that operates in the Material, Homes and Health Care business sectors. Founded in Japan in 1922, Asahi Kasei has over 100 years of manufacturing experience and is a pioneer in battery-related technology. The core of its Energy Storage business is the lithium-ion battery separator – a microporous membrane that provides a barrier between the positive and negative electrodes of the battery, preventing short circuits while allowing lithium ions to pass from one side of the battery to the other. To learn more about Asahi Kasei, visit: asahi-kasei.com