About Us
CERC@MARC is one of the world’s leading academic research programs in transportation electrification and smart mobility focused on pioneering sustainable energy-efficient solutions from advanced electric motors, power electronics, energy management systems, and controls to electrified powertrains, electric vehicles, and autonomous systems. With active contributions to a wide range of industry projects and access to world-class, robust resources, technologies, and facilities, CERC@MARC is one of the world’s most prominent training environments for new talent in automotive and aerospace engineering.
The group is led by Dr. Ali Emadi, Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) Laureate and professor of electrical and computer engineering and mechanical engineering at McMaster University. Our diverse research group, located at McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC), McMaster Innovation Park (MIP), in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is home to more than 250 graduate and undergraduate students, post-doctoral research fellows and engineers.
Did You Know...
McMaster University
- Established in 1887
- One of the world’s top 70 universities
- 32,000 students; 1,500 full time faculty
- $372 million sponsored research annual income
- #1 in Canada for research impact, research intensity, industry income, & sponsored industry research
McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC)
- 4 world class research groups under one roof
- Located at McMaster Innovation Park (MIP)
- 80,000 ft2 - unparalleled in North America
- 40,000 ft2 expansion in Q4 2021
Importance of Auto Industry in Canada
- Canada is the 4th largest exporter of cars in the world
- Automotive industry is Canada's largest manufacturing sector by gross domestic product
- Ontario is a leading jurisdiction for auto production in North America: 2.4 million vehicles built in Ontario annually
Notable Milestones
- MARCed begins. MARCed is a series of training modules and short courses for the industry and microcredentials for the students.
- MARCstartup established.
- McMaster University receives $10M from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to support an integrated automotive, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing network. Known as iHub, the automotive and aerospace electrification hub will expand the existing facilities at MARC and will leverage another $16.8M from industry partners.
- MARCdrive established.
- AeRO (Accelerating eVTOL Research Outcomes) project begins in partnership with Eaton Aerospace, Eaton Canada, and Mitacs-Accelerate Program.
- Synergy Award for Innovation by NSERC (single award in the category of partnership with a large company), $200,000 research grant award for the partnership with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) for the project titled “Electrified Vehicles: The Car of the Future.”
- McMaster University Faculty of Engineering Research Award.
- Dr. Emadi completes the CERC in Hybrid Powertrain term and named Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate.
- Collaboration with Eaton Corporation begins.
- McMaster University selected as one of 12 universities in North America to compete in EcoCAR Mobility Challenge (2018-2022), which is the latest Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) and is headline sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), General Motors (GM), and MathWorks, and managed by Argonne National Laboratory.
- Enedym Inc. begins operation.
- Menlolab Inc. founded.
- LEAP 2 (The Car of the Future) project begins in partnership with FCA US LLC, FCA Canada Inc., and NSERC CRD Program.
- Dr. Emadi named NSERC/FCA Industrial Research Chair in Electrified Powertrains (2018-2023).
- Dr. Emadi named Tier I Canada Research Chair in Transportation Electrification and Smart Mobility (2018-2025).
- TargetGHG project begins in partnership with BorgWarner Inc., Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) Program.
- Dr. Emadi named Fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors.
- Enedym Inc. formed as a technology start-up spin-off company of McMaster University. Enedym signs a license agreement with McMaster University.
- First issue of the IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification (TTE) published. Dr. Emadi served as the founding editor-in-chief of TTE from its launch until 2020. TTE has become the premier journal in transportation electrification.
- Chrysler Innovation Award.
- McMaster Engineering EcoCAR 3 team formed. McMaster University is selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM) as one of only two Canadian universities participating in EcoCAR 3 (2014-2018)—North America’s premier collegiate-level automotive engineering competition.
- McMaster University opens 80,000 square-foot McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC). Dr. Emadi’s research group moves to MARC and starts developing the CERC research laboratories and test facilities in 25,000 square feet of space.
- McMaster University receives more than $19M in major partnerships with Chrysler Group LLC, Chrysler Canada Inc., and Canadian government through the Automotive Partnership Canada (APC) to develop advanced electric and hybrid powertrains under the five-year LEAP (Leadership in Automotive Powertrains) project.
- Dr. Emadi becomes IEEE Fellow (citation: for contributions to electric power conversion and control for electric and hybrid vehicles).
- As the founding General Chair, Dr. Emadi chairs the first IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo (ITEC’12) in Dearborn, MI, USA. Dr. Emadi has served as the ITEC lead and steering committee chair from 2012-2021. ITEC has grown as the premier transportation electrification conference with a global brand including ITEC North America, ITEC Europe, ITEC India, and ITEC Asia & Pacific.
- The first industry sponsored project on electrified powertrains with $1M funding from Chrysler Group LLC begins.
- Dr. Emadi joins McMaster University as the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Hybrid Powertrain—the only CERC in Canada related to the automotive, transportation, and electric motor industries.
- Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) announces $11.5 million funding to McMaster University to create the $26 million 80,000 square-foot McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC) at the McMaster Innovation Park (MIP).
- Formula Hybrid team at McMaster University formed.
- Dr. Ali Emadi named Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Hybrid Powertrain receiving $10 million in federal funding in addition to significant support from McMaster University to develop a world-class research program in transportation electrification at McMaster University.
