Since 2007, the Government of Canada has made investments of $1.8 billion in support of the ongoing transformation and renewal of Canada’s forest sector. FPInnovations has been an important collaborator in this process, conducting research and helping to develop and commercialize forest sector innovation.
In 2014–2015, the Government of Canada will invest $24 million in FPInnovations towards the development of new leading-edge technologies, processes and products that will translate into jobs, growth and prosperity for Canada’s forest sector and for Canadians.
These innovations are helping to set the foundation for a more prosperous forest sector in Canada, built on higher-value products and diversified mills. In addition to providing good, secure jobs in forest-dependent communities, the forest sector contributed $19.2 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2013.
In addition to developing and publishing the Technical Guide for the Design and Construction of Tall Wood Buildings in Canada, FPInnovations has been instrumental in the development of new products such as cellulose fibrils (CF) and cellulose nanocrystals (NCC), and the adaptation of cross-laminated timber for use in North America.
FPInnovations (FPI) was created in 2007 as a result of a merger of Canada’s three former forest research institutes (FERIC, Forintek, Paprican) together with NRCan’s Canada Wood Fibre Centre. The new structure was implemented to provide a coordinated, synergetic delivery of industry-led forest research in Canada.
As part of the Government’s strategy for forest sector renewal, the Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, recently announced funding of $90.4 million to renew the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program. This program is at the forefront of helping Canadian companies lead the world in demonstrating the viability of innovative technologies that improve efficiency, reduce environmental impacts and create high-value products.
In addition, the Expanding Market Opportunities program has also helped to open doors to new business opportunities and has diversified markets for Canadian forest products. These efforts have been particularly successful in increasing sales of Canadian wood products to China, where exports have grown by more than 1,000 percent between 2007 and 2013.
Media may contact:
Alexandra Lemieux
Press Secretary
Office of Canada's Minister of Natural Resources
613-996-2007
Or:
Media Relations
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-992-4447
The general public may contact:
Mon.–Fri., 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. EDT
Telephone: 613-995-0947
TTY: 613-996-4397
(teletype for the hearing-impaired)
E-mail: questions@nrcan.gc.ca
Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan (http://twitter.com/nrcan)