Federal Government Grants $1.3 Million to Support Research Into New Wood Products

“In recent years, Canada’s wood products industry has faced growing challenges in accessing the market for commodity-type wood products,” said Minister Emerson. “This new industrial research chair will conduct a program of highly innovative, highly relevant research that will enhance the competitiveness of the wood products industry.”

“The wood products industry is fundamental to Quebec’s economic sustainability – the economies of 115 municipalities in Quebec depend on it,” explained Minister Lapierre. “This new chair will foster innovation and economic growth throughout Quebec and the rest of Canada.”

The federal government’s contribution to this chair is being made through NSERC’s Industrial Research Chairs program and will total $1.3 million over five years. The chair will conduct its research in collaboration with 11 private and public sector partners: Forintek Canada Corp., the Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec, the Ministère des Ressources naturelles du Québec, Abitibi-Consolidated Inc., Kruger Inc., Chantiers Chibougamau, Shermag Inc., Les industries de la Rive Sud Ltée, Uniboard Canada Inc., the Mouvement des caisses populaires Desjardins and Industries Maibec Inc. These partners will contribute a total of $1.5 million along with expertise and resources to enhance research activities and ensure dissemination of research results. Plans call for the chair to provide training to 20 students at the masters and doctoral levels.

The senior chairholder will be Dr. Robert Beauregard, a professor of forestry at Université Laval. As Dr. Beauregard explains, “It is essential for Canada’s wood products companies to evolve from a business model based on access to low-cost labour and natural resources to one that competes by offering products and processes unique to the world market. To achieve this transformation, these firms must focus on their clients and deliver the products and services that meet their needs, including needs that these clients themselves cannot yet perceive.” Associate chairholder Dr. Alexander Salenikovich added, “This chair’s goal is to understand how we can make the Canadian wood products industry move into the knowledge-based economy.”

Dr. Tom Brzustowski, President of NSERC, underlined Dr. Beauregard’s well-established expertise in this field: “As a specialist in wood products manufacturing and management, Dr. Beauregard is the ideal person to develop processes that will help Canadian firms find new ways to add value and shift their focus from primary to secondary manufacturing. The chair’s collaboration with its industry partners will also provide a remarkable training opportunity for the students participating in the research program to become the highly qualified people who will carry the new activities forward in the future.”

This chair is one of many funded by NSERC through its Research Partnerships Programs, which support high-level research with social or industrial value with a view to transferring the results to Canadian organizations. The funding of these chairs is determined by a rigorous peer review process in which the merits of research proposals and partner commitment are carefully assessed.

Science and Engineering Research Canada (more commonly known as NSERC) is a key federal agency investing in people, discovery and innovation. It supports both basic university research through research grants, and project research through partnerships among postsecondary institutions, government and the private sector, as well as the advanced training of highly qualified people.

For more information, contact:

Martine Perreault
Media and Public Affairs Officer
NSERC
Tel.: (613) 995-8824
E-mail: martine.perreault@nserc.ca

Dr. Robert Beauregard
Faculty of Forestry and Geomatics
Université Laval
Tel.: (418) 656-7684
E-mail: robert.beauregard@sbf.ulaval.ca

Stéphanie Leblanc
Office of the Honourable David L. Emerson
Minister of Industry
Tel.: (613) 995-9001

Irène Marcheterre
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Jean-C. Lapierre
Minister of Transport
Tel.: (613) 991-0700