The facility will also advance research projects and education focused on exploring new ways that copper can be used to enhance health and safety in real-life applications.
Leading by example, the mining company and the university have already installed more than one thousand antimicrobial copper patches on high-touch surfaces at the BCIT Burnaby Campus as an extra layer of protection for students, staff, and visitors.
“The Teck Copper Innovation Hub combines the state-of-the-art research capabilities of BCIT Applied Research with the industry expertise of Teck to drive innovation across a growing interdisciplinary field,” Paul McCullough, interim president of BCIT, said in a media statement. “This partnership amplifies the collaborative strength of our organizations and establishes a new hands-on learning environment that will have a meaningful impact in the healthcare field and beyond.”