IPST will host the forest products industry’s Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance in the Paper Tricentennial Building in September.  “This highlights IPST’s collaboration with Agenda 2020, and underscores the importance we place in understanding and supporting the industry’s research priorities,” observes IPST director Norman Marsolan.

Last spring, president Ron Brown and the Agenda 2020 board re-focused the organization’s research priorities on five critical areas, and launched project teams for each of them.  The teams are Black Liquor Concentration; Reuse of Process Effluents; Delivering a Drier Sheet to the Dryer, Advanced Chemical Pulping, and Cellulosic Nanomaterials.  Agenda 2020’s quarterly meeting September 4 at IPST will encompass updates from each of the teams and next steps.  It will also include updates from the Department of Energy about upcoming initiatives and research funding opportunities.

SAPPI vice president-research, development and innovation Beth Cormier chairs Agenda 2020, and she recently served as a member of IPST’s 10th-Year Review Team.  “The industry is fortunate to have such close working relationships among the technology association and its affiliated research institutions,” said Beth.  “Agenda 2020’s meetings frequently bring its members to key research centers for mutual exposure and technical exchanges.  This is helpful to all of us.”

In addition to the quarterly meeting, the Advanced Pulping team will hold a meeting September 3 and the Black Liquor Concentration team will hold an all-day workshop September 5.  Both meetings will be held at IPST.

About thirty participants from companies, universities, and government agencies are expected to attend. 

For further information about the project teams, please contact Agenda 2020 president Ron Brown (ron_brown@agenda2020.org).