The University of New Brunswick Wood Science and Technology Centre is hosting a conference on March 1 and 2 titled Looking Ahead: Opportunities in Value-Added Wood.

The conference will look at the rapid innovation in the design and manufacturing of wood products, and the need for Atlantic Canada’s forest and wood product industries to keep abreast of trends. You can register for the event here.

The conference will be held at the Moncton Coliseum. Speakers will include Robert K. Irving, Co-CEO of J. D. Irving, who will be the keynote speaker for the luncheon on March 1.

Irving’s presentation will focus on keys to business success, building the economy of tomorrow, and opportunities and challenges in doing business in Canada and the U.S.

Data Analytics for the Forestry Sector

The host of the conference will be Y. H. Chui, Director of the UNB Wood Science and Technology Centre and holder of the New Brunswick Innovation Research Chair in Advanced Wood Products.

Chui’s presentation will focus on applications of wood products in mass construction and mid-rise buildings, with an emphasis on business opportunities for Atlantic Canada’s wood industry.

Meaghan Seagrave, Executive Director at BioNB, a partner of the conference, said that New Brunswick’s economy is closely tied to natural resources, with 80 percent of the province’s land covered by forest.  

“We have the industry and technology assets to transform this resource into high value products bound for international markets,” she said in a statement.

“The UNB Wood Science and Technology Centre is a powerful research asset for the wood products industry and the province, and this conference is a fresh step toward fostering the growth of the region's wood technology cluster.”

Greg Brooks of Louisville, KY, will also be a guest speaker. Brooks, a consultant and author, is President of the Building Supply Channel, editor of LBM Executive, and a Steering Committee member of the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies.

His presentation will explore how the U.S. housing industry is evolving post-recession and discuss how wood and building product distribution channels in the U.S. and Canada are responding to these changes.

Another guest speaker is Phillip Bibeau, Executive Director of the Wood Products Manufacturers Association, headquartered in Boston and representing some 300 wood product manufacturing companies in 37 states.

Bibeau’s presentation will examine changes that impact small and mid-size wood product manufacturers in the U.S., and the opportunities they present to suppliers in Atlantic Canada.