Green chemistry tech catalyst opens in Kingston, ON

Canada's latest centre for green chemistry and cleantech innovation, the Reaction Hub (RXN HUB), is now open in Kingston, following a CAD $3 million investment from the municipality.

The new 30,000-square-foot facility is designed to accelerate the transition from research to commercial-scale solutions, particularly in sectors such as energy, sustainable materials, natural resources and advanced manufacturing.

The funding from the City of Kingston is part of a local strategy to encourage economic growth through sustainable technology and to position Kingston at the forefront of national cleantech business development.

"Reaction Hub represents exactly the kind of bold partnership Kingston needs to stay competitive and sustainable," said Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson. "This investment builds on our strengths in innovation and chemistry while creating the high-value jobs of the future. Together with our partners, we are showing that municipalities can be catalysts for national change."

Bridging research and industry

RXN HUB brings wet laboratories, modular piloting, and pre-manufacturing bays into a single building, offering infrastructure and support to help green technology ventures transition between promising research and commercial viability. The centre's resources enable innovators to accelerate development, scale up their technologies, attract investment, and bring sustainable solutions to market.

The hub's network includes local and national organisations such as Kingston Process Metallurgy, Utilities Kingston, Queen's University, Ontario Centre of Innovation, Foresight Canada, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, and several others. Partnerships with global organisations, including Deloitte and Dentons, were announced as well.

Morgan Lehtinen, Executive Director of RXN HUB, stated, "We're bringing together entrepreneurs, scientists and industry partners under one roof to accelerate innovation, from early chemistry breakthroughs to full-scale production. Kingston has the talent, infrastructure, and vision to lead in sustainable manufacturing, and RXN HUB is where that transformation begins."

Since its soft opening in October 2024, RXN HUB has supported a range of ventures, including UNDO Carbon, recognised for enhanced rock weathering carbon removal technologies, and Carbon Lock Technologies, which is piloting a cleantech process that converts organic waste into biochar and bio-oil for sequestration in asphalt.

The Hub has also collaborated with organisations such as MaRS Discovery District's Women in CleanTech program and Foresight Canada EarthTech 2050, extending its services to ventures across the country. These activities are building Kingston's reputation as a hub for sustainable chemistry commercialisation.

Boyd Davis, Chair of the Reaction Hub Board of Directors, commented, "Reaction Hub is where collaboration meets impact. By combining Kingston's deep chemical scaling expertise with industry partnerships and the city's visionary investment, we are unlocking our city's potential to lead the world in sustainable process innovation. This facility will help companies accelerate their journey from lab to market, and do it right here in Kingston with high-quality input from local experts."

Image courtesy of City of Kingston.