Concordia professor Van Suong Hoa, in partnership with Montreal-based company MPB Technologies, has been awarded the ADRIQ Partenariat Technologique Prize.

He was presented with the prize at the recent ADRIQ (Association de la recherche industrielle du Québec) Gala held on the November 26, 2009.

Hoa is a professor in Concordia’s Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and is Director of the Concordia Centre for Composites.

The partnership between MPB and Concordia began in 2003 and has resulted in the development of innovative “self-healing” materials that can lengthen the lifespan of structures used in outer space.

Explains Hoa, “in space, tiny particles like micrometeorites can cause damage to man made structures. By using self-healing materials like those we’re working on, organizations such as the Canadian Space Agency can develop structures that will stand up better to the harsh conditions of space.”

Hoa notes that since the partnership with MPB began, much progress with these self-healing materials has been made. In fact, he hopes to see the products he has helped create be tested in space in the near future. Asked what the ADRIQ award meant to him, Hoa smiled broadly and called the win “a great surprise.”

From left to right: Claude Demers, President, ADRIQ; Van Suong Hoa, Concordia Professor, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering; Emile Haddad, MPB Technologies; and Alain Coulombe, President, Conseil d’Administration, ADRIQ.

Read more about professor Hoa.

For more information about ADRIQ, visit the website.

Posted on November 30, 2009