SERVICES ON FORESTRY RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE TO BE REORGANIZED

The government today announced reorganization of delivery of various value-added business development and research services to Saskatchewan's forest industry.

The Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) will assume responsibility for the agro-forestry and bio-energy research and program functions currently carried out by the Prince Albert-based Forest First organization. Through this move, SRC will have a major office and research presence in Prince Albert for the first time and will be located in the Saskatchewan Forest Centre building.

FPInnovations, the country's leading not-for-profit research institute, will undertake Forest First's value-added business development work.

"Earlier this month we released our new forest industry development framework which is intended to help the industry move from a commodities base to more market-driven value-added products," Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd said. "As we provide programming support to the forest industry under the framework, we look forward to the value-added product and market research that institutional leaders such as the Saskatchewan Research Council and FPInnovations can provide.

"We thank Forest First for the forest science, technology transfer and agro-forestry services it has provided over the years. We expect those services to continue and grow through SRC and FPInnovations."

"SRC is already a leader in the development of made-in-Saskatchewan agroforestry and biomass-to-energy technologies," Minister responsible for SRC Lyle Stewart said. "The addition of the counterpart Forest First programs will serve to build critical mass and produce synergies in these two vital aspects of Saskatchewan's future forest economy. This is a good example of the kind of co-ordination and support of strategic research and development that we plan to accomplish in Saskatchewan's new ecosystem of innovation."

The transition of responsibilities between Forest First and the two organizations will be managed by a team of officials from SRC, Forest First, the Ministry of Energy and Resources and Enterprise Saskatchewan.

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For more information, contact:

Bob Ellis
Energy and Resources
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1691
Email: robert.ellis@gov.sk.ca