One of Canada’s key R&D centres in the oil and gas industry will be converted into the Life Science Innovation Hub at the University of Calgary. The facility, known as the Shell Technology Centre Calgary for the last three decades, has seen breakthroughs in improving oilsands yields through paraffinic froth treatment. Researchers for the company also made advances in sour gas, transportation fuels and chemical sciences there. (JWN)

Talking point: The price of the facility was not disclosed, but the atrium will maintain the Shell name after the company allowed the acquisition to be made partly through a gift-in-kind donation. Earlier this month, the university announced it was purchasing the research park where the Shell facility is located from the Province of Alberta for $97 million. Last year, Shell announced it was selling most of its stake in Alberta’s oilsands and earlier this year announced it was selling its stake in Calgary-based Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. for $4.3 billion.