Dr. Poirier founded KoanTeknico Solutions Inc. in 2001. She is the President and principal consultant of the company.
Dr. Nicole A. Poirier has devoted her career to industrial research and the development & commercialization of new technologies and products.
Dr. Poirier first worked for the Pulp & Paper Research Institute of Canada (now FPInnovations) from 1985 to 2000, where she led various projects and research teams focused on investigating new manufacturing approaches using pilot-scale equipment. During this time, she also acted as a Technology Transfer Agent to Canadian forest sector manufacturing operations, was a Technical Lecturer for university and industry groups, participated in Technical Committees, and was a Board Member of the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering.
Dr. Poirier became involved in 2004 in the creation and start-up of a Canadian cleantech company, for which she led until 2019 the development and commercialization of novel advanced electrochemical wastewater treatment technologies for bilgewater, sewage and greywater. These technologies have been certified by various organizations including the USCG and Transport Canada. She secured funding for these development efforts from Sustainable Development Technology Canada, the US Office of Naval Research, the Canadian Department of Defense, the US Army, IRAP, NSERC and POLAR Knowledge Canada, and has carried out trials in various civilian and military locations, on land and at sea. Recently, some of these technologies were installed on several Canadian Coast Guard vessels, in addition to other commercial applications.
In 2008, Dr. Poirier co-created one of the first 4 Business-Led Networks of Centers of Excellence in Canada and served as its Scientific Director from 2008 to 2014. During this period she established a portfolio of nanotechnology-based projects focused on industrial applications and pilot-scale trials in the aerospace, automotive, forest and personal care sectors.
Since creating KoanTeknico, Dr. Poirier continues to provide technical consulting services related to R&D, technology and business development, intellectual property, funding, and preparation of technical reports and documents for various organizations in the forest products, maritime, environmental and nanotechnology sectors. She is the author of patents, monographs, and articles, and the recipient of prizes and awards for technology development.
A professional engineer, Dr. Poirier graduated with a B.A.Sc. in Chemical Engineering in 1983 from the University of Ottawa, and an M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering in 1986 from McGill University. After working for several years she returned to McGill University where she obtained her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 1991. Dr. Poirier is a member of the Quebec Order of Engineers, a former Board Member (2018-2024) and Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, a member of the Executive Committee of the Montreal Section of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and a former member of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Council of Canadian Academies (2017-2024).