bc-forest-industry-economic-impact-study

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Forest Innovation
Highlights
The forest innovation sector is focused on finding ways of
extracting maximum value from the forest resource. This
generally includes research into new and more effective
silviculture methods, forest management and next generation
manufactured products.
The Forest Products Association of Canada has partnered with
Responsible for 65 percent of FPInnovations and Natural Resources Canada to create a
Canada’s wood pellet production blueprint to help guide the Canadian forest industry toward
innovation and new forest products. They have identified a
potential global bio-based market of $200 billion, and a potential biochemical market of $62 billion. 77
Among the next generation products are:
Engineered wood products. These products increase the value of lower grades of fibre, such as
coastal utility grade hemlock and interior pine beetle kill, that can be used to produce composite
lumber products and laminated timbers.
New building techniques and solutions that explore new ways of substituting non-renewable
construction materials with forest products which are engineered to maximise the structural safety,
comfort and energy efficiency of building systems.
Biochemicals that are developed from converting wood
chips, lignin, and pulp mill by-products into a wide range of
product, including moisture resistant packaging, medical
gowns, tires, industrial chemicals and resins.
Bioenergy that is generated from forest biomass. Wood
biomass-based energy products can be derived from solid
wood, bark and other wood residues, wood chips, lignin,
and sludge from effluent ponds. These are refined to
produce energy products, including wood pellets,
electricity, ethanol, and bio-diesel.
The forest innovation sector is working with waste streams from harvesting, primary and secondary
manufacturing. Product development from the sector’s waste streams allows more value to be extracted
from the forest resource. Advances such as parallam, nano-cystalline cellulose particle technology, and
cellulose-based energy products have foundations in BC-based research.
BC enjoys an extensive and globally-recognised forest product research network. Among the research
institutions and funding organisations are:
Estimated revenue of $124 million
Supports 2,000 FTEs
Largest biomass producer in
Canada
BC’s universities. The University of British Columbia (UBC), University of Northern BC (UNBC),
Simon Fraser University (SFU), University of Victoria (UVic) and Vancouver Island University (VIU)
all have dedicated forest research centres, groups or initiatives. Examples include the Enhanced
Forestry Laboratory (UNBC), Centre for Forest Biology (UVic), and the Forest Sciences Centre
(UBC).
Research organisations. The Pacific Forestry Centre, FPInnovations, BC Bioenergy Network all
have direct research programs or grants that fund BC’s forest innovation activities.
Funding sources. Sources of funding include Investments in Forest Industry Transformation
Program (IFIT), Western Economic Diversification Canada, Sustainable Development Technology
Canada (SDTC), Northern Development Initiative Trust, BC Bioenergy Network, Forest Innovation
Investment, the provincial and federal governments and industry sources.
It is estimated that these organisations received over $124 million in funding for forest research in 2013
(Table 12). Approximately 96 percent of this funding was allocated to large metropolitan areas in the coast
region where most research centres are located (Figure 10).
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Forest Products Association of Canada and FPInnovations. “The New Face of the Canadian Forest Industry.” Available here:
http://www.fpac.ca/publications/BIOPATHWAYS%20II%20web.pdf
BC FOREST INDUSTRY: ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY
MNP LLP