Canada’s clean tech future takes root in Kingston: RXN HUB opens as national catalyst for green innovation

The Reaction Hub (RXN HUB), in partnership with the City of Kingston and Modern Niagara, officially opened its doors on Monday, Oct. 20 as Canada’s newest centre for green chemistry innovation and commercialization at 945 Princess St.  

The launch was made possible by the City’s $3 million investment in the facility, part of a strategy to drive economic growth through sustainable technology and to position the city as a national leader in cleantech business development. 

“Reaction Hub represents exactly the kind of bold partnership Kingston needs to stay competitive and sustainable,” said 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.” 

From research to real-world impact 

The 30,000-square-foot RXN HUB brings together chemistry wet labs, modular piloting and pre-manufacturing bays under one roof, purpose-built for ventures advancing solutions in the energy and utilities, sustainable materials, natural resources and advanced manufacturing sectors. By bridging the critical “valley of death” between research and commercialization, RXN HUB provides innovators with the infrastructure, consulting expertise and ecosystem support they need to accelerate, scale-up, attract investment and bring sustainable technologies to market. 

Through collaborations with leading local and national ecosystem partners including Kingston Process Metallurgy (KPM), Utilities Kingston, Queen’s University, Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI), Foresight Canada, Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC), the Vershuren Centre, the Energy Transition Centre (ETC), Centre d'Innovation sur les Technologies Propres (CITP), Neptune Bioinnovation Centre, and the Canada Cleantech Alliance, RXN HUB serves as the anchor for an “end-to-end” innovation pipeline that moves ideas from lab discovery through validation, piloting, and commercial production. Working alongside international partners such as Deloitte and Dentons, RXN HUB connects Canadian innovation to global markets and opportunities. 

Morgan Lehtinen, Executive Director, RXN HUB shared, “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.” 

Modern Niagara: Building the infrastructure of innovation 

As a founding industry partner, Modern Niagara has played a vital role in transforming the facility’s vision into reality, providing business leadership, engineering, mechanical, and building systems expertise to create one of the most advanced chemistry commercialization environments in the world. 

“Modern Niagara is proud to help build the foundation for Canada’s clean industrial future,” said Andrew Creese, Vice President, Real Estate & Investments, Modern Niagara. “Our partnership with RXN HUB and the City of Kingston reflects our belief that sustainability and innovation go hand in hand. By investing in this infrastructure, we are creating the spaces where tomorrow’s technologies will take shape.” 

A Hub with national and global reach 

Since its soft launch in October 2024, RXN HUB is supporting domestic and international ventures including UNDO Carbon, an X-Prize–winning leader in enhanced rock weathering for carbon removal, and Carbon Lock Technologies, who are piloting a cleantech process that transforms organic waste into biochar and stable bio-oil for long-term sequestration in sustainable asphalt. Through collaborations with organizations like MaRS Discovery District’s Women in CleanTech program and Foresight Canada EarthTech 2050 to provide services to ventures, RXN HUB is building national visibility and positioning Kingston as a go-to destination for sustainable chemistry commercialization. 

“Reaction Hub is where collaboration meets impact,” said Boyd Davis, Chair of the Reaction Hub Board of Directors. “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.”