SEMINAR: Plant Biology Research Seminar

My talk will discuss the need for investment in adding value and capacity to the forest products sector given the severe contraction in research activity and training nationally over the last 5 years.

The Training Centre, which commences on 1 January 2016, will build the capacity to shift the forestry and wood products sector from a traditional, resource driven, low-technology base to a market driven, precision-manufacturing focused industry that applies modern technologies and business approaches to the value chain from germplasm to commercial buildings. The Centre will integrate forest production, restoration and manufacturing training and research to support an industry positioned within a modern landscape-management context. This will enable the industry to realise opportunities in the growing bio-economy through the application of innovative technologies and information systems. Such goals recognise that social licence and forest certification are required for raw materials to find markets as manufactured products. It also recognises that current and future market opportunities may be different from those traditionally targeted by the Australian forest sector. For these opportunities to be realised, greater sophistication is needed in the specification of wood for engineering or architectural purposes and in the integration and management of what is a complex supply chain.