Forest Industry lauds another World First for Canada's innovative forest sector

OTTAWA, Dec. 18, 2013 /CNW/ - The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) applauds the announcement of funding for a new strategic partnership to build and operate the first Cellulose Filament (CF) commercial demonstration plant. The announcement was made by the Federal and Quebec governments at a Kruger plant in Trois-Rivières today.

CF is a novel and high value wood-fibre based material that could be used in new "super-pulps", and for high-performance tissue, towel, paper and packaging materials.  It could also be used as a bio-material in a wide range of non-traditional applications such as reinforced plastics, non-structural panels in building construction and non-woven fabric. The demonstration project is possible because of research and development by FPInnovations.

"This is another great example of Canada leading the way in new innovations that will transform the forest products industry to extract more value from every tree," says the president and CEO of FPAC, David Lindsay.  "This type of ground-breaking innovation is supporting jobs and economic growth especially in rural Canada."

The demonstration project is made possible with the support of $15 million from the federal Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program. FPAC has asked the government to replenish this strategic fund with $500 million over the next six years to continue to drive forward world leading innovations that maximize jobs and value creation from Canada's forests.

"We welcome this continued support for transformation from governments.  They remain a vital partner in providing the risk capital needed to ensure Canada is developing world-first technologies and flourishing in world-markets over the long term," says Lindsay.

FPAC's Vision2020 for the Canadian forest products industry has set the goal of generating an additional $20 billion in new products and markets by the end of the decade.

FPAC provides a voice for Canada's wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. The $57-billion-a-year forest products industry represents 2% of Canada's GDP and is one of Canada's largest employers operating in hundreds of communities and providing 230,000 direct jobs across the country.

SOURCE: FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION OF CANADA