|
John Brink's vision for the value-added industry
• Back to News
The past century has seen the greatest advances in technology the world has ever
seen. What changes will the next century bring? How will these changes impact
our forest industry?
By John Brink
In northern BC we are blessed with an abundance of fine-grained, high quality
wood that is unequalled in the world. Over the past 25 years, there has been
a growing realization of the true value of this resource and increasing efforts
have been made to sustain it in a viable and healthy form. In a global market
where wood use is steadily increasing, where does the market leader, the BC
industry, go to retain its share of that growth market?
We face stiff competition from a growing managed forest in southern USA, Europe,
Scandinavia, New Zealand, Chile, Brazil and other regions where exotic pine
and eucalypt plantations are being established at an increasing rate. This growth
began soon after the Second World War and many of these plantations are reaching
maturity and will be harvested in the next two decades. Their growth rates,
aided by genetic advances that not only improve growth, but enhance fibre characteristics
and quality too, far exceed those that are achievable in the interior of BC.
What are our strengths? Well, as we have said, we have the best fibre in the
world. The question is how do we use it. Clearly it will have to be “stretched”
a bit to enhance its applications in the market. A good example is how interior
fibre is blended with other lower grade pulps to enhance the strength characteristics
of paper. With the right technology, the same concept will apply to solid wood
and composite wood products. The issue is whether we do this here or whether
it is done somewhere else in the world. The outcome will depend on a business
culture in BC that is conducive to the attraction of capital to the province
for the development of these concepts.
There has been a trend in the economic debate about the need for more value-added
products, including hardwoods and under utilized species, as a means to reaching
our goals and competitiveness. This does not mean that we discard the primary
sector as an agent for economic growth. On the contrary, we look to the primary
sector for the diversification needed to create those products that will entail
a commitment to specialty sawing and the cost effective, technically advanced,
manufacturing processes that are required to achieve this. The way forward will
rely heavily on a dual logic economy where strategic alliances between innovative
secondary manufacturers and specialty primary sawmills unite in the pursuit
of a focused excellence in wood manufacturing.
We have one of the best locations in the world. Strategically, BC is situated
between the two great markets of Europe and Asia. Added to this we are adjacent
to the USA, the largest developed, consumer market in the world. This fortuitous
geographic position together with a stable, democratic government must be exploited
to its fullest extent. Access to these markets and the maintenance of market
share must remain the focus of our governments and industry leaders with a clear
understanding that any barrier must be aggressively challenged and removed.
In order to reach those markets, transportation, already well established and
competitive in BC, will become a strategic focus for economic development. The
focus will be on cost reduction and a lessening of our reliance on imported
technology both in vehicle manufacture and in alternative fuels. Technological
advancement in this sector will be critical to future growth.
Canada has pursued a policy of developing a highly educated workforce throughout
its history. The dividends of this strategy will be reaped as we move forward.
To achieve our ambitions as a competitive, technically proficient, world-class
wood manufacturer, we must continue to have access to a highly skilled and technically
smart workforce. Our education systems will need to pick up the paddle and move
forward with us. To this end, there are some very positive advances. The College
of New Caledonia has started a wood technologist program this year which for
the first time provides students an education in value-added manufacturing and
will provide to the secondary wood processors a high caliber, technically astute
workforce for the future. In addition, plans are underway for the development
of a Wood Technology Centre based at CNC that will provide access to laboratories,
testing facilities, training and other resources for the industry.
Technology is key to the future direction of our forest policies and the utilization
of the resource and will play a strong role in the improvement of forest yields,
ensure sustainable forest management, and develop new products and focused manufacturing
processes. BC is fortunate in having some of the world’s best, practically
oriented, research institutions. Forintek Canada Corporation provides the largest
facility for research and development in wood products in north America and
is working on the development of products and processes for future generations.
It has recently set up a technology transfer program that is unique in its ability
to get the knowledge and practical application of scientific discovery into
the place where it counts: value-added manufacturers.
Our future looks promising and the new millennium dares us to accept the challenge
of reaching for our full potential. Through an economic strategy that builds
from our strengths, expands our technical capability and skills, we can move
forward, confidently and purposefully, towards a focused excellence in wood
manufacturing in northern BC.
|
