The RTDS will support SMEs developing advanced materials and energy technologies for the automotive and smart mobility sectors.
Kingston, Ontario – May 25, 2026 – The Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN) has announced that a new OVIN Regional Technology Development Site (RTDS) has been established in Kingston and Eastern Ontario.
Led by the Kingston Economic Development Corporation, the Kingston and Eastern Ontario RTDS, also known as Fuse, will receive up to $2 million in support from the Ontario government through OVIN. This funding has been matched by $4 million in industry investment and $3 million in broader public sector support for a total investment of $9 million to accelerate the development, and commercialization of next-generation automotive and mobility technologies.
Announced on February 6 by the Honourable Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, the RTDS network of nine sites across the province is backed by nearly $70 million in total funding, including $17.5 million from the Government of Ontario through OVIN, $32.8 million in matching industry investment, and more than $19.3 million from the broader public sector.
“As a global leader in the automotive and mobility sector, Ontario is driving the transformation towards a connected, electric future,” said Raed Kadri, Head of OVIN. “The OVIN Regional Technology Sites provide Ontario-based SMEs access to an extensive network of support and expertise and reduce barriers for start-ups and companies to create homegrown solutions to meet not only Ontario’s needs, but those of customers all across the globe, to drive our economy forward.”
Fuse will support Ontario-based SMEs with specialized infrastructure, equipment, funding, and expertise to accelerate the development and commercialization of advanced materials for automotive and smart mobility sectors. With over 85,000 square feet of wet labs, piloting bays, an on-site analytical suite, and coworking space, the Kingston and Eastern Ontario RTDS will bridge the critical gap between laboratory research and industrial-scale production.
The Kingston and Eastern Ontario RTDS is built on five key pillars designed to accelerate technology commercialization: Physical Infrastructure, Technology Development & Validation Fund (TDVF), Pathway to Commercialization & Advisory Services, Business Advisory & Mentorship, and Innovation & Ecosystem Summits. Eligible companies may receive industry funding through the Technology Development & Validation Fund, along with business advisory services, IP support, and connections to industry networks through ecosystem summits.
“Through OVIN, Ontario is creating a province-wide network that turns regional innovation into real economic impact,” said Claudia Krywiak, President and CEO of the Ontario Centre of Innovation. “By establishing nine Regional Technology Development Sites, we’re giving SMEs access to world-class infrastructure and expertise that helps them commercialize faster, strengthen supply chains, and compete globally. This investment ensures that made-in-Ontario mobility solutions drive jobs, growth, and long-term competitiveness across the province.”
“Kingston’s selection as Ontario’s first chemistry and materials-focused Regional Technology Development Site is a powerful endorsement of our community’s long-standing strengths in advanced manufacturing, clean technology, and applied research,” said Mayor Bryan Paterson, City of Kingston. “This investment will help local and Ontario-based companies move faster from discovery to commercialization, create high-value jobs, and reinforce Kingston and Eastern Ontario’s role as a hub for sustainable innovation. It also reflects our commitment to building an economy that is resilient, globally competitive, and aligned with the transition to electric and low-carbon mobility.”
The Kingston and Eastern Ontario RTDS is delivered through a collaborative partnership between Kingston Economic Development Corporation and technical partners RXN HUB, Impact Chemistry, Kingston Process Metallurgy (KPM), Modern Niagara, Celanese Polymer Products Canada, Qnity Electronics, Nanofabrication Kingston, Launch Lab, Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium and Kingston Metals & Materials (KM&M).
The Kingston and Eastern Ontario Site is made possible thanks to a collaborative approach between industry, municipalities — Gananoque, Hastings County, Kawartha Lakes, Kingston, Lennox and Addington County, Peterborough, and Quinte EDC —, and academic partners like Queen’s University. This integrated approach leverages decades of chemistry and materials expertise concentrated in the Kingston and the Eastern Ontario region, providing Ontario SMEs with access to specialized capabilities spanning from laboratory-scale research through industrial piloting.
“What sets Kingston apart is the depth of integrated collaboration across our chemistry and materials ecosystem,” said Donna Gillespie, CEO of Kingston Economic Development Corporation. “Kingston and Eastern Ontario have a rich heritage in chemistry and materials innovation, and this RTDS brings together our region’s technical expertise, specialized facilities, and industry knowledge to support Ontario companies. By uniting our partners’ capabilities under one program, we’re creating a comprehensive pathway that addresses the unique challenges of scaling materials-based innovations for the automotive sector. We’re creating a pathway for materials innovation to reach commercial scale while keeping these companies and their intellectual property in Ontario.”
The Kingston and Eastern Ontario site complements the existing network of RTDS sites across Ontario, each specializing in different aspects of automotive innovation. As the only site focused on chemistry and materials, this new site will serve companies developing battery materials, lightweight composites, sustainable manufacturing processes, and other materials-based innovations critical to the future of the automotive sector in Ontario.
“The chemistry and materials focus of the Kingston and Eastern Ontario site addresses a critical need in the e-mobility ecosystem,” said Abdul Razak Jendi, Investment Manager, Sustainable Manufacturing at Kingston Economic Development Corporation. “Ontario-based SMEs developing advanced materials often face significant challenges accessing the specialized equipment and expertise required to scale their technologies from lab to production. This program removes those barriers by providing access to analytical capabilities, piloting infrastructure, and technical expertise that would otherwise require substantial capital investment.”
The Kingston and Eastern Ontario RTDS leverage the region’s established strengths in sustainable manufacturing, academic research excellence, and an active network of municipal and industry partners supporting Ontario SMEs develop technologies in the automotive and mobility sector. The program will support SMEs across the full spectrum of materials innovation, from early-stage research validation through to industrial pilot production.
To learn more about the Kingston RTDS and how its partners and services, can help your company accelerate innovation, visit: investkingston.ca/fuse
QUOTES:
“This program is a tangible acknowledgment of chemistry’s role in the future of Canada’s industrial economy. We are excited to add this to our portfolio of programs that can unlock validation, demonstration and deployment for the most sustainable solutions to complex problems. As a former founder, Fuse is the kind of program I wish I had.”
Morgan Lehtinen, Executive Director, RXN HUB
“Impact Chemistry is pleased to bring our significant chemistry and materials expertise to bear as part of the Kingston and Eastern Ontario RTDS. We are grateful for the opportunity to provide our product development services to innovative SMEs so they are best positioned to scale and grow their businesses in Ontario.”
Tim Clark, VP Business Development, Impact Chemistry
“KPM and KM&M are excited to be a part of this programme to help start-up companies scale up important technology in the mobility space.”
Boyd Davis, Principal, Project Development, KPM
“NanoFabrication Kingston is very pleased to participate in Fuse, where each partner brings a complementary skill or resource to the table. Companies developing technologies in chemistry and materials can find the expertise they need here.”
Graham Gibson, PhD, Lab Operations Manager, NanoFabrication Kingston
“Launch Lab applauds this investment in the Kingston and Eastern Ontario Regional Technology Development Site and the recognition of the region’s strengths in advanced manufacturing, chemistry, materials innovation, and applied research. Kingston and Eastern Ontario have developed a highly collaborative innovation ecosystem that is helping Ontario companies move from research to commercialization and compete globally. As a partner in this ecosystem, Launch Lab will continue to support and act as a catalyst for entrepreneurs and SMEs by helping companies access the mentorship, advisory services, industry connections, and commercialization pathways needed to scale and grow in Ontario.”
Scott Runte, CEO, Launch Lab
As a community built on small and medium-sized businesses, Kawartha Lakes welcomes the Kingston RTDS as a valuable new resource that expands access to expertise and infrastructure. Fuse will help our local innovators grow, compete, and contribute to long-term regional prosperity.
Rebecca Mustard, Manager, Economic Development Kawartha Lakes
Media Contacts:
Daniel Solorio
Marketing & Communications
ManagerKingston Economic Development Corporation
613-329-9270
solorio@investkingston.ca
