FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INVESTS $3.5M IN UBC’S BIOPRODUCTS INSTITUTE The government of Canada in August announced more than $3.5 million in funding for the University of British Co-lumbia (UBC)’s BioProducts Institute. The money is meant to help support the development, scale-up and produc-tion of sustainable bioproducts, including filters, adhesives, lightweight materials and personal protective equipment, by helping to de-risk technologies and support the commercialization of the bioproducts. UBC’s BioProducts Institute will be working to help pulp mills in B.C. be-come bioproduct or biorefinery mills that produce sustainable materials to be used in the medical field, personal care, filtra-tion, crop protection and other industries. “Scaling up development of high-val-ue, bio-based materials from cellulose and lignin will generate economic and social benefits for B.C. and increase the long-term competitiveness of its forest sector. UBC’s BioProducts Institute, to-gether with the BioAlliance and industry partners, is working on catalyzing the diversification of the forest industry into sustainable markets. We are grateful to Pacific Economic Development Canada for this new funding, which supports our efforts to help grow B.C.’s bio-economy, in alignment with the province’s goals to accelerate technological and economic growth and improve environmental sus-tainability,” said Professor Orlando Rojas, Canada Excellence research chair in forest bioproducts and scientific director, UBC BioProducts Institute, in a statement. FEDS INVEST $2.1M IN FPINNOVATIONS FOR NEW EQUIPMENT TO ADVANCE BIOPRODUCTS PInnovations is receiving over $2.1 million from the federal government to acquire state-of-the-art equipment for construction materials and bioproducts. The new equipment will allow FPInnovations to increase its research and devel-opment and technology transfer activities with Quebec SMEs operating in the panel industry. “FPInnovations was able to acquire advanced analytical equipment including the optical surface profilometer or the high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) that will allow improved characterization of lignocellulosic materials to support FPInnovations’ members in the development of new materials in fields such as packaging, textiles or construction,” said Stéphane Renou, president and CEO of FPInnovations. “In addition, FPInnovations’ press has been equipped with a new system for testing resins with a lower environmental impact for composite panels. We have also integrated a dynamic image analyzer that allows it to determine the geometry of the fibres and their distribution in order to optimize the insulation properties of bio-sourced insulation materials.” The funds were provided under Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)’s Regional Economic Growth through Innovation program. This pro-gram is geared towards entrepreneurs leveraging innovation to grow their businesses and make them more competitive, as well as regional economic stakeholders. “We are delighted to receive this financial support, which will allow FPInno-vations to acquire new equipment that is invaluable to SMEs operating in the forestry sector, allowing them to innovate and set themselves apart in increasingly competitive markets,” said Renou. “These investments will help promote forests as a strategic source of growth for the bioeconomy and the transition to a greener economy that is needed in our fight against climate change.” F Feds invest $605K in two Indigenous-led biomass projects The federal government is investing $605,000 in two biomass projects in the Lac-Saint-Jean, Que., region, to support Indigenous-led development projects. Akua Nature Inc. will receive $400,000 to support the construction of new infrastructure that will facilitate the conversion of forest biomass into natural health products based on First Nations medicine. The remaining $205,000 will go to Inukshuk Synergie to help operation-alize its plan to have franchises commercialize their biomass energy heating systems, providing a turnkey energy solution to local communities. R SALES PARTS SERVICE COMPLETE LINE-UP OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE AND COST EFFICIENT WOOD GRINDERS VERTICAL & HORIZONTAL MODELS AVAILABLE WASTEWOODHOGS.COM 1-866-ROCWEAR (762-9327) CFI_Rawlings_MarApr20_CSA.indd 1 Canadian BIOMASS 2021-01-06 3:37 PM 7
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