Invest in Hamilton

The Technology Innovation Centre combines laboratory space with pilot-scale processing capacity, equipped with state-of-the-art analytical and electrochemical testing equipment. It houses a demonstration plant for material conversion and coating, an advanced analytical lab for evaluating powder materials, and an application lab for assessing battery cell performance. Together, these capabilities allow Rain Carbon to take a material from initial concept all the way through to validated, customer-ready performance under a single roof. 

The centre’s research focuses on battery anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, including natural and synthetic graphite and silicon-carbon composites; Rain Carbon’s proprietary LIONCOAT® precursor technology; and emerging energy storage technologies such as solid-state batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells.

Rain Carbon brings more than 150 years of experience in carbon materials to Hamilton. The company operates 13 international locations and employs more than 1,750 people worldwide. Its specialty is converting industrial byproducts from oil refining, steelmaking, and bio-based sources into high-value carbonaceous materials used across a wide range of industries, from aluminum and green steel to tires, coatings, specialty chemicals, and, increasingly, energy storage. 

In its first year, the centre has already taken on two publicly funded research projects. The first, announced in October 2025, is a partnership with Green Graphite Technologies, supported by a grant from Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), to develop sustainable graphite anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. The second, announced a month later, pairs Rain Carbon with Northern Graphite Corporation on a project to turn graphite byproducts into battery-grade material, backed by up to C$860,000 through the Canada-Germany Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Program. Both projects run out of the Hamilton facility, placing the city within a wider network of Canadian and international battery-materials research.

Rain Carbon’s decision to locate its North American innovation hub in Hamilton reflects the strengths that continue to draw investment to the city: existing company operations, a central position within Ontario’s industrial and supply chain geography, access to world-class post-secondary and research institutions, and a skilled workforce with deep roots in advanced manufacturing. Discussions with local stakeholders began in 2023, and the facility started up in the first quarter of 2025. This is a clear signal of confidence in Hamilton as a base for serious, long-term research and development.

For Hamilton, the Rain Carbon centre represents more than a single facility. It demonstrates that the city can attract knowledge-intensive investment in the battery materials and clean energy technology sector, which is poised for substantial growth in the decades ahead. As Canada works to build out its domestic battery supply chain, from critical minerals through to cell manufacturing, Hamilton is establishing itself as a materials innovation hub within that broader national effort. 

It is a fitting evolution for a city built on industry. The expertise, infrastructure, and workforce that made Hamilton a manufacturing powerhouse are precisely what an advanced materials company needs, and Rain Carbon’s investment builds on that foundation while extending it into the industries that will define the next generation of manufacturing. 

Your company can leverage Hamilton’s world-class research institutions, strategic location, and deep roots in advanced manufacturing to drive your next big innovation. Whether you are in clean tech, energy storage, or advanced materials, our city is built for your success. Contact the Invest in Hamilton team today to explore how we can help you build, expand, and succeed in Hamilton.