The Government of Ontario has allocated an additional $5 million to the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bioeconomy (CRIBE), a Thunder Bay-based forest innovation accelerator.
“This funding will enable ongoing successful collaboration with our industry and government partners as we continue to position Ontario as a global leader in innovation.”
Scott Jackson
CRIBE
CRIBE, an independent non-profit, connects researchers, the forest sector, and forest product end users to develop and commercialize innovative, low-carbon forest-based solutions. The funding will support CRIBE’s “Growing Ontario: Sustainable Wood-Based Materials for the Future” initiative, aiming to develop and market new bioproducts and promote forest sector growth.
The accelerator receives the largest portion out of a $6.2-million total commitment to research, innovation, and modernization projects in Northwestern Ontario from the province’s Forest Biomass Program.
The program also supports a paper plant modernization and an Indigenous community heating system, aiming to discover new market revenue streams for underused wood and mill byproducts, known as forest biomass. The province reports an investment of over $45 million across 55 projects to date under the Forest Biomass Program.
Through collaborations with research and academic institutions, CRIBE assists forest-based projects and technologies in research, development, piloting, and commercialization. The accelerator states it has contributed $28.1 million to 42 projects via its funding challenges, with a total project value of $162.3 million. Supported projects include forestry uses for drones and transforming biomass into soil additives for agriculture.
“This funding will enable ongoing successful collaboration with our industry and government partners as we continue to position Ontario as a global leader in innovation,” said CRIBE CEO Scott Jackson.
Feature image courtesy Geranimo via Unsplash.