Characterizing the wood attributes of Canadian tree species: A thirty-year chronicle

Abstract

In 2007 Forintek Canada Corp merged with the other forest research institutes-Paprican, FERIC and the newly formed Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC)-to become FPInnovations. This merger offers opportunities for synergies across a range of research activities from the forest to final product markets, and the first step to achieving these synergies is to provide a better understanding of past and current research roles. This paper chronicles delivered results from the Resource Program in response to Forintek member priorities. Of necessity due to limited resources, the Resource Assessment Program at Forintek was built on both internal and external collaboration. It was also built on a legacy of wood quality research inherited from the Eastern and Western Wood Product Laboratories of the Canadian Forest Service from which it was formed through privatization in 1979. FPInnovations now has custody of this legacy. This paper was prepared as a contribution to a workshop organized by the CWFC to promote better understanding of research capabilities residing within FPInnovations. It is aimed at identifying opportunities for future collaboration by describing Forintek's resource characterization program and our members' priorities for future wood quality research in Canada.