TWIG Monthly - Gurminder Minhas - Forest Bioeconomy
Have you heard the terms bioeconomy, bioproducts, or things such as cellulose nanocrystals? The future of forestry is about diversification and innovation that makes use of fiber that could be considered less desirable. Adding value comes through how you process and treat the input material and convert it into something that customers are willing to pay for and that provides performance benefits. It’s not about making a new industry, but repurposing and reusing what’s already here. Ultimately we have to think outside the box and realize the diversity of value the forests in BC have to offer, and the new markets that could be developed from thinking differently.
Gurminder Minhas has been moving his way through the industry for 20+ years, working for a range of companies in an R+D-based role, and is a strong business leader in the space of the Bioeconomy. His work and drive for innovation have opened up new doors for partnerships, spawned new companies and products, both locally in BC and across Canada. When talking about the future of forestry, the work Gurminder is up to with Performance BioFilaments contributes to it. Innovations in forestry could have applications in other industries that previously would not consider the use of forest-based materials, and that’s what’s exciting about the future of the Bioeconomy.
This next TWIG monthly will focus on what the Bioeconomy is and how it relates to some of the issues we are facing in our forests today when it comes to fires, old-growth and undesirable standing fiber. The Bioeconomy is relatively new here in BC, and so there is lots of space for it to be defined and explored. The Bachelor of Science in Forest Bioeconomy Sciences and Technology (BEST) at UBC is a new program designed to support this emerging side of the industry. If you have ever had questions or curiosities about some of the science and technology, or the applications behind Bioproducts, this would be a great event to join.
The Wood Innovation Group (TWIG) is creating an industry-leading forest products innovation ecosystem, rooted in Wood Science, informed by Craft that highlights Design, Art, Invention, and creative thinkers in working with locally available fibre. The TWIG Monthly event is a recurring get-together to connect on topics, projects, and ideas that bring sustainable and considered value to the forests in BC.
Information on our events can be seen at twigbc.ca/monthly. To get updated information directly, sign up for the mailing list on the website and/or follow TWIG on LinkedIn.
