Paprican, FERIC and Forintek are joining forces as one single research institute for the forest sector.
Paprican, FERIC and Forintek are joining forces as one single research institute for the forest sector.
“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, chairman of the board of FERIC.
“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.”
The three institutes are all involved in research relevant to forest products and technology. As Phil Latos, chairman of the board of Forintek noted, many of his institute’s members in fact hold membership in the other two research outfits as well. “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.”
The three research organizations will over the course of the next six months, collaborate to develop an integration plan, which will then be presented to their respective members for final approval.
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