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FPInnovations and CRIBE join forces to develop forest bio-economy

A new partnership has been created between the Center for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE) a…

A new partnership has been created between the Center for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE) and FPInnovations, to facilitate the adoption of innovative technologies related to the forest bio-economy.

Aimed at the forest products sector in Ontario, the new partnership will promote the development of innovative technologies which use renewable resources such as trees and forest bio-residuals. It will employ existing infrastructure and engage industrial partners in developing bio-refinery pilot plants to evaluate promising technologies and new concepts and validate ideas relevant to the bio-economy.

“The Government of Ontario has recognized the need to move the province to the forefront of the commercialization of chemicals, fuels, fibres and energy that can be produced from forests,” says Lorne Morrow, CEO for CRIBE.

The new partnership will also engage universities and colleges more systematically in the pursuit and delivery of an innovation agenda for the forest sector including the creation of a skilled workforce to support bio-economy initiatives.

In partnership with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), FPInnovations will contribute equally with CRIBE up to $1 million per year for the next four years to establish new scientific and technical capacity to support the pre-commercial demonstration of promising technologies related to the forest bio-economy in Northern Ontario. In addition, the parties in conjunction with their respective government partners, NRCan and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, will provide up to $20 million in funding over the next four years.

Pierre Lapointe, President and CEO for FPInnovations states: “The engineering and technical studies are focussed on three alternatives: lignin, methanol, and hemicellulose. Our aim is to identify technical and business challenges around extracting and reusing these products. I have great hope for this partnership and the new possibilities it represents for the Ontario forest industry.”

CRIBE was established in 2009 by the province of Ontario to support new job and business creation in the bio-economy sector using forest biomass from Northern Ontario.

FPInnovations is a not-for-profit forest products research institute.