Lynea Advisory, in association with Oregon State University, Oregon Wood Innovation Center and the Institute of Foresters of Australia conducted a forest and forest products innovation tour of the Oregon forest sector this July. Source: Timberbiz
“This 7-night tour focused on innovative techniques and approaches and fostered the love of timber and forests that is shared by foresters worldwide,” Lyndall Bull from Lynea advisory said.
“Site visits included engineered wood products, bioenergy producers, softwood lumber, secondary manufacturing and plantations, providing enormous opportunities for Australian forest experts to exchange knowledge with their US counterparts.”
Forests cover over 30.5 million acres of Oregon, accounting for almost half of the state, and provides over 58, 000 living wage jobs.
This tour included visits to:
- Oregon State University including the Oregon Wood Innovation Center and their soon to be built state-of-the-art Center for Advanced Wood Products Manufacturing and Design.
- Seneca Sawmill which produces 40% of its own energy use from renewable bioenergy.
- Roseburg Forest Products that started in 1946 and has grown into one of the nation’s largest engineered wood products facilities.
- Brightwood Corporation which manufactures window and door parts and other secondary products.
- Bear Mountain Forest Products.
- A range of forest types including Douglas-fir, Oak, Hemlock and Ponderosa Pine.
As was identified by the Forest Industry Advisory Council, long-term growth of the sector requires innovation across all parts of the value chain.
This tour provided participants with insights into opportunities for innovation across the forest products value chain and demonstrated what can be achieved when the industry has a well-developed and effective innovation system. In particular, the tour highlighted the wide range of opportunities that exist for value adding to a sustainably managed forest resource.
