Ask any engineer: The right environment can make all the difference. McMaster University's new Candu Core gives first-year Bachelor of Engineering students that advantage a bright, spacious, modern, and purpose-built studio that facilitates collaboration and design innovation as they embark on their engineering education.
Named in recognition of a transformative $1.5-million gift from Candu Energy Inc. the original equipment manufacturer of Canadian CANDU® nuclear technology and a subsidiary of AtkinsRéalis, a global engineering services and nuclear organization the 5,000-square-foot space in the heart of the Faculty of Engineering was unveiled at an event on March 12.
The name is a nod to the connection between the core of a CANDU reactor an iconic achievement in Canadian engineering and the centralized location of the new space on campus. Like a reactor core, where controlled neutron interactions generate energy, the studio is designed to become an incubator of energy and activity, a place where ideas collide as engineering students gather to innovate, share knowledge and solve complex problems.
The Candu Core will serve as the new home for first-year students taking Integrated Cornerstone Design Projects (1P13), the first in a suite of Fundamental Skills in Engineering courses designed to cultivate essential technical and professional skills.
Through hands-on, problem-based learning in groups, 1P13 students develop capabilities in engineering disciplines as well as communication and teamwork. Beginning in Fall 2026, incoming Bachelor of Engineering students will be the first to bring their ideas to life in the Candu Core.
"We're tremendously grateful for Candu Energy's support in enriching the learning environment in our faculty," says Heather Sheardown, dean of Engineering at McMaster.
"The Candu Core will be a hub for experiential learning and preparing students to take on the complex challenges facing our world."
An investment in Canada's nuclear university
Candu Energy's investment further strengthens McMaster's long-established role as a national leader in nuclear education and research. That commitment was reinforced in 2024 when McMaster became an ambassador for Canadians for CANDU, a national campaign championing Canada's homegrown, licensed nuclear technology; an emission-free energy source that supplies more than half of Ontario's electricity.
"The Candu Core reflects a shared vision for advancing innovation and supporting the next generation of engineering talent in Ontario," says Gary Rose, President of Candu International.
"A talent pipeline of leaders and innovators is critical for the province to deliver some of the largest infrastructure and energy builds outs in North America, particularly in the nuclear sector."
As Canada's nuclear university, with the nation's most powerful research reactor on campus, McMaster plays a critical role in shaping the future nuclear workforce. The Candu Core expands that capacity, giving students a dynamic, hands-on environment for design, prototyping and real-world problem-solving skills essential to meeting Canada's evolving energy and infrastructure needs.
In Fall 2025, the first course in the new interdisciplinary Minor in Nuclear Studies and Society launched to strong student interest, and one of the country's few Bachelor of Engineering programs specializing in Nuclear Engineering is now nearing final approval.
McMaster's nuclear research reactor on campus recently received federal funding to support 24/7 operation for the increased production of custom isotopes used in developing new therapeutics.
CANDU reactors also play a critical role in supplying Canada's and the world's supply of cancer-fighting medical isotopes, with Ontario's CANDU reactor fleet producing 50% of the world's supply of the cobalt-60 isotope alone.
CANDU reactors are the only power-producing reactors in the world which can make electricity and isotopes simultaneously.
Guests at the unveiling networked with students working on nuclear research as well as 1P13 design projects. They explored the two-floor facility, which will soon house laser cutters, 3D printers and other cutting-edge tools essential for prototyping and fabrication.
