Beverage innovators across Canada will benefit from Niagara College’s newly expanded Pilot Plant, designed to accelerate product development and help businesses bring new beverages to market with greater speed, safety, and confidence.
NC’s Food and Beverage Innovation Centre (FBIC) has unveiled a sweeping renovation of its Beverage Pilot Plant, reinforcing its role as a national leader in applied research and commercialization for Canada’s beverage sector.
The renovation, recently completed at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, involved a significant reconfiguration and expansion of existing infrastructure to improve efficiency, increase production capacity, and further support the growing needs of Canadian beverage entrepreneurs.
The upgraded line now features an automated canning system with a rotary infeed, rinse-and-code station, nitrogen-dosed filler/seamer, tunnel pasteurizer, and dryers, plus an additional 350-litre process tank that boosts run sizes from 200 litres to 600 litres (roughly 500-1,600 cans per batch). These assets provide an ideal way for small companies to scale up, since they specifically target the “0-to-100 case” gap many emerging brands face before meeting co-manufacturer minimums.
“This expansion is about more than increasing square footage — it’s about elevating the level of service and support we can provide to the beverage industry,” said Lyndon Ashton, Associate Director, FBIC. “With upgraded pilot capabilities and industry-standard equipment, we’re creating an environment that mirrors real-world production, enabling companies to innovate with confidence. This investment allows us to better de-risk the product development process, accelerate commercialization, and help Canadian beverage entrepreneurs bring safe, high-quality products to market faster and more effectively.”
The innovation centre is located within the Marotta Family Innovation Complex and, in addition to the pilot plant, which a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)-certified and Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)-licensed facility, it also features process-optimization and product-development labs, as well as a beverage analytical cluster. The Centre provides technical services to SMEs across Canada, including formulation, process optimization, shelf-life testing, regulatory compliance, small-batch processing, and sensory analysis.
Since its inception, FBIC has supported hundreds of companies in commercializing innovative food and beverage products, including success stories such as DistillX, Canada’s first zero-alcohol gin and tequila, and Miski Ancestral, a gluten-free quinoa-based beer now listed at the LCBO. Companies may engage FBIC on a fee-for-service basis, through cost-shared applied-research projects, or by combining both approaches.
The newly upgraded Pilot Plant now delivers HACCP certified small-batch processing from 50 to 1,000 L for a variety of beverage types. Key technical activities include formula optimization, pilot trials, scale-up feasibility studies, food safety risk assessments, carbonation, canning, pasteurization, and shelf-life testing, offering clients a certified, low-risk pathway from concept to commercialization.
“Whether you’re a startup launching your first product or an established brand testing a new line, this upgraded space allows for deeper collaboration and faster progression from bench to shelf,” said Ashton.
“This renovation represents a strategic investment in the future of Canada’s beverage sector,” said Marc Nantel, PhD, NC’s Vice-President, Research, Innovation and Strategic Enterprises. “By expanding the capabilities of our Pilot Plant, we’re not only meeting the rising demand for beverage innovation — we’re empowering small- and medium-sized businesses with the tools, expertise, and facilities they need to succeed in a competitive market. It also strengthens our commitment to experiential learning by giving Niagara College students direct access to industry-standard environments where innovation happens.”
The Beverage Pilot Plant operates on both a fee-for-service and funded research model, with support available through various provincial and federal programs, subject to eligibility. SMEs interested in collaborating with FBIC can contact David DiPietro, Business Development Manager, at [email protected] or visit niagaracollege.ca/research for more information.
Technicians at Niagara College’s Food & Beverage Innovation Centre work in the newly renovated HACCP-certified Beverage Pilot Plant, dialling in CO₂ levels in the carbonation tanks as part of expanded production capacity and industry-standard equipment upgrades to accelerate beverage innovation.
NC’s award-winning Research and Innovation division administers research funding through investments from various regional, provincial, and federal agencies. Students and graduates are hired to work alongside faculty and staff researchers to assist industry partners’ leap forward in the marketplace. Students come from a variety of the College’s programs, such as Mechanical Engineering Technology, Culinary Innovation and Food Technology, Business Administration – Marketing, and Computer Programmer.
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