The boards of directors of Canada’s leading forest products research institutes, namely FERIC, Forintek and Paprican, have voted to create a new structure to spearhead their activities.

“Soaring energy prices, restrictions on available fibre, increased availability of low-cost foreign fibre, the value of the Canadian dollar and the ongoing globalization of the industry are all  factors, amongst others, that continue to pressure the Canadian forest sector,” said Don Banks, FERIC’S chairman. “From the forest, to wood and pulp and paper, Canadian producers face similar challenges and one of the goals of the Single Institute proposal is to come up with an organization conducive to even greater efficiency and capacity in innovation and research and development to address these challenges.”

Many of the Members hold membership in one, two or all three of the Institutes. Said Phil Latos, Forintek’s chairman. “Our objective is to ensure that (the Institutes’) research teams continue to play a leading role in the restructuring of Canada’s forest products industry. Teaming up would allow the industry to benefit from synergies and facilitate the development of an integrated approach to research and development in the Canadian forest sector as well as be in the best possible position to play a leading role at the global level.”

“With the creation of this Single Institute we will be in a position to speak with a stronger common voice on forest sector issues,” said Frank  Dottori, Paprican’s chairman. “It is in difficult times that companies can truly feel the strength of joining forces to collaborate in pre-competitive areas with  other members and clients of the new Institute.” Dottori believes the new structure will also attract new members and increase the overall financial support for forest sector R&D.

The Institutes will develop an integration plan for presentation to their memberships for final approval in the next six months.

• FERIC’s goal is to improve Canadian forestry operations related to the harvesting and transportation of wood, and the growing of trees, within a framework of sustainable development.
• Forintek Canada Corp. is Canada’s national wood products research institute. Its mission is to develop scientific and technical knowledge, to deliver technological solutions in such areas as lumber, panels and other value-added wood products manufacturing processes or attributes, drying and protection, building systems and so on.
• Paprican, the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada, provides technology transfer and cost-competitive research addressing both the shortterm and strategic needs of its Members. Its research programs are driven by the industry’s high-priority  technical issues such as product quality and value, cost competitiveness, environment and sustainability. Paprican
  has laboratories in Quebec and British Columbia. Its previous president and CEO, Dr. Joseph D. Wright, retired April 30. www.feric.ca, www.forintek.ca, www.paprican.ca. PI