Chairholders

Profile

Olivier Vermeersch

Groupe CTT
Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe

Chair title

NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Innovative Technical Textiles

Chair program

Industrial Research Chair for Colleges

Role

Industrial Research Chairholder since 2012

Summary

Technical textiles are technologies of the future for several sectors of strategic importance to our society: transport, defence, health, construction. The program of the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Innovative Technical Textiles focusses on three key themes: (1) sustainable development, sustainable construction, re-use; (2) protection, safety and comfort, and toxicity; and (3) smart textiles. The Chair will head multi-partner technology watch projects and contract projects. Through multidisciplinary teams, the projects will foster innovation and other activities that lead to productivity gains and increased competitiveness.

Technical textiles are considered an essential component of tomorrow's leading-edge products. Canada must there become a leader in the field. Companies looking for better safety solutions for personal protective clothing (first responders, military personnel, workers under extreme conditions) or seeking to reduce the weight of structural composite parts for vehicles are in constant need of technologies that allow them to stay ahead of the competition and support the development of innovative local industries specializing in technical textile solutions. The challenges are sizable and Canadians will benefit from the results, namely job creation and retention, a smaller environmental footprint and improvements in worker and patient conditions. Examples include:

• textile technologies for the protection of military personnel and weapons;
• carbon fibre structures for composites designed to improve the safety and energy efficiency of today's aircraft and tomorrow's cars;
• textiles embedded with physiological sensors for early detection of problems in ambulatory patients or extreme-condition workers;
• textile and hybrid systems integrating water tightness, drainage, soundproofness, and thermal insulation for the buildings of tomorrow.

The Research Chair's industry partners–Belt-Tech Products, Stedfast, Soleno Textiles, Filspec and Logistik Unicorp–are leaders in their respective segments of the local textile sector. They commercialize patented products developed in partnership with Groupe CTT, a key partner of the Chair. As the founding members of the Chair, they rely on innovation as their corporate development strategy in a demanding business climate, collaborating along the entire value chain. The involvement of the École de technologie supérieure, and particularly its Research Chair on Materials and Protective Equipment used in Occupational Health and Safety, will promote mutually beneficial networking between the two levels of post-secondary education in shared areas of research.

Partners

• Produits Belt-Tech
• Stedfast
• Soleno Textiles
• Filspec
• Logistik Unicorp
• Groupe CTT
• École de technologie supérieure

Contact information

Groupe CTT
Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe
3000 Boullé Avenue
Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec
J2S 1H9

Tel.: 450-778-1870, ext. 4271
Fax: 450-778-3901
Email: overmeersch@gcttg.com

Website:
http://www.gcttg.com/chair