The province has announced that it is providing $2.25 million toward the research and development of cellulose filaments (CF), flexible fibres extracted from pulp that can be used in everything from plastic packaging to photographic film to panels in building construction.
"We are excited about the potential of this new transformative technology," says the President and CEO of FPAC, David Lindsay. "It will help reinforce Canada's global reputation as being in the forefront of forest sector innovation."
The research will be undertaken by FPInnovations, a world leader in creating scientific solutions in support of the Canadian forest sector's global competitiveness. FPInnovations is undertaking the CF research as part of a national program aimed at developing new ways to use wood fibre to produce bio-materials and environmentally friendly products to help diversify Canada's forest sector.
"Realizing the vast bio-potential of new products such as CF is part of the extraordinary transformation that is now underway in the Canadian forest products industry", says Lindsay. "These innovative new products will also help our sector reach the ambitious goals as laid out in Vision2020."
Vision2020 foresees a $20 billion increase in economic activity from new products and markets; a 35% improvement in the sector's environmental performance and a refreshed workforce with 60,000 new recruits by the end of the decade.
FPAC provides a voice for Canada's wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs.
