Georgia’s forest industry has long been a pillar of the state’s rural economy. But in recent years, mill closures and shifting markets have put pressure on landowners, workers, and entire communities, particularly in south Georgia. A recently approved $8.9 million Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative will help chart a new path forward, creating more value from Georgia’s abundant forest resources and expanding opportunities for the people and regions depending on them. 

Georgia Tech is pleased to partner with the Georgia Forestry Commission on the approved $8.9 million Georgia Forestry Innovation Initiative included in Gov. Brian Kemp’s amended FY 2026 budget. This effort aims to transform low-value wood and mill byproducts into high-value materials, strengthening Georgia’s forest-based economy and supporting new commercial opportunities across the state. The initiative will establish pilot facilities and accelerate technology to business transfer in partnership with industry, with the long-term goal of enabling multiple manufacturing sites across Georgia.  

“We appreciate the state’s investment in helping move these innovations from the lab to Georgia businesses,” said Carson Meredith, executive director of Tech’s Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI). “We also acknowledge the critical support of industry collaborators and partners like the Georgia Forestry Association and Georgia Forestry Foundation.” 

The work builds on collaborative interdisciplinary research at Georgia Tech involving School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professors Andreas Bommarius, Chris Luettgen and Meredith; School of Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Stefan France and Professor of the Practice A.J. “Bo” Arduengo; and H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial Systems and Engineering Professor Valerie Thomas. Gary Black, RBI program manager, has also contributed to this effort. It is led by RBI’s Center for a Renewables-Based Economy from Wood (ReWOOD.) The effort reflects years of cross-disciplinary collaboration among faculty and staff committed to advancing sustainable, wood-based technologies.