As an affiliate member of the forest products industry’s Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance, IPST supports the research organization through participation, collaboration, and occasionally hospitality.  IPST hosted Agenda 2020’s meetings at the Paper Tricentennial Building in September.

“We value our collaboration with Agenda2020 for many reasons,” commented IPST director Norman Marsolan. “Apart from collaborative research efforts, our affiliation not only provides our members and faculty opportunities to stay up to date on industry research priorities, but provides additional occasions for networking with Federal agencies and the national labs.”

The central event was Agenda 2020’s quarterly meeting, at which about two dozen company representatives, research scientists, faculty from Georgia Tech and other universities, and government officials attended.  There was also a full-day workshop on black liquor concentration and a team meeting of the Advanced Pulping task force, as well as an Agenda 2020 Board meeting.

It was a good way to inaugurate the improvements to IPST’s seminar room, which has been outfitted with an integrated sound system to accommodate effective remote participation.

[Please see related article on IPST’s research initiatives in industry research priorities.]