Michel Lefèvre
PhD in Energy and Materials Science (2003)
Director of Programs and International Collaborations, PRIMA Québec

“A PhD is more about how you work than what you know. It teaches you to look at a problem from different angles, to find solutions, to collaborate.”

When Michel Lefèvre left Belgium after completing his studies in materials science engineering, he had no idea that a few months of internship in Quebec would lay the foundations for an entire career devoted to scientific innovation. Eager to explore a new field, he chose an internship at Professor Jean-Pol Dodelet's laboratory at INRS, attracted as much by the international experience as by a project that took him out of his comfort zone. This first contact, marked by the discovery of fuel cells and a stimulating research environment, quickly turned into a long-term commitment: Professor Dodelet offered him the opportunity to pursue a PhD, which he accepted without hesitation.

At the Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications in Varennes, Michel discovered not only the rigor of scientific research, but also a close-knit community where collaboration is at the heart of everyday life. He has fond memories of this tight-knit community. Laboratory evenings, intercultural exchanges, and experiments that could happen at any time of the day or night forged lasting bonds and a team spirit that he still considers essential to his training today.

His doctoral project, conducted in collaboration with teams in Belgium at the Catholic University of Louvain, focuses on a major challenge: replacing the platinum used in fuel cells with catalysts based on non-noble metals. This demanding scientific quest requires patience, creativity, and a great capacity for adaptation. “We tried a whole series of ideas to find the right catalyst.” This perseverance paid off: Michel succeeded in establishing the structure of the catalyst, a major achievement that helped make the INRS team a global benchmark in this field. The resulting publications, notably in Science and Nature Communications, are among the most cited in the sector.

After completing his PhD, he pursued postdoctoral research on fuel cells, collaborating with the NRC in Boucherville and industry partners to develop less expensive bipolar plates. Then a major opportunity arose: General Motors wanted to further research on the catalyst developed by the team. An NSERC chair was established, ushering in five years of scientific advances that would lead to key patents. Armed with this expertise, Michel co-founded a start-up, Canetique Electrocatalysis, which grew directly out of the work carried out at INRS. “Our start-up was based on these two patents... We collaborated with General Motors and Toyota.” Despite promising international partnerships, the company ultimately had to close due to insufficient funding to continue its development.

Michel then continued his career in applied research before changing direction in 2017. He joined PRIMA Québec, a research and innovation hub dedicated to advanced materials. He now holds the position of Director of Programs and International Collaborations. This role, in which he supports researchers and companies, fully utilizes his strengths: analytical skills, a detailed understanding of scientific and technological issues, and a sense of collaboration. “I can easily talk to a company or a researcher... even if I'm not an expert in everything, I can understand the big picture.”

This shift in perspective, from research to funding and support, gives him a new angle on innovation: "It's always very interesting. We see lots of projects, we talk to companies, to researchers..." He continues to support Quebec research while contributing to the development of technologies that will have a concrete impact, particularly in areas such as energy, additive manufacturing, the environment, and health.

Looking back, Michel believes that his time at INRS gave him much more than specialized expertise: it gave him a way of thinking. “A PhD is more about how you work than what you know. It teaches you to look at a problem from different angles, to find solutions, to collaborate.” He advises current students to take full advantage of this unique period and, above all, not to limit themselves: ”It doesn't just open one door, it opens many."

For the future, he expresses a simple but essential wish: that young people continue to choose research and that it remains at the heart of the necessary transformations. “Everything we have, our phones, our electric cars, is thanks to research.” And he hopes that collaborative innovation, to which he now devotes his expertise, will continue to play a key role in responding to major environmental, economic, and technological challenges. “In my field, advanced materials are everywhere. That's really where the future of innovation lies.”

[Interviewed in December 2025.]