Jan 29, 2008. /Lesprom Network/.The Malaysian Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities is inviting companies to team up with the Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) to undertake research and development (R&D) on biocomposites at the board's centre in Olak Lempit furniture village, Banting. "Biocomposite has been use widely in the developed countries like Australia, New Zealand and Italy as a construction material and it will benefit Malaysia if such a technology is developed further locally to overcome the shortage of timber in this country," told Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui after visiting the centre. Chin said private companies were welcomed to undertake their R&D with MTIB as well as use the machinery and facilities on rental basis. He said Italy has been successful in producing furniture made of recycled wood (biocomposite) where old wooden furniture was processed and combined with resin to produce new raw material for furniture making. "Even the product made of recycled wood from Italy were more expensive than the Malaysian furniture which is made of solid wood," he said.