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A University of Oregon-led initiative to revolutionize the mass timber sector in the Pacific Northwest has been selected as a semifinalist in the highly competitive National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines program. Source: Timberbiz The NSF Engine: Oregon Mass Timber Innovation Engine, led by principal investigator Judith Sheine, professor of architecture in the UO College of Design and director of design of the TallWood Design Institute, is among just 29 semifinalist teams nationally. The announcement builds on the project’s momentum from a US$1 million NSF Engine strategic planning award granted in 2023 and the work of the TallWood Design Institute, a joint initiative of the UO and Oregon State University. “This exciting next step affirms our region’s potential to lead a national transformation of our construction industries,” Ms Sheine said. The mass timber initiative “leverages Oregon’s world-class strengths in timber R&D, abundant forest resources, and manufacturing capacity to build a thriving and resilient mass timber ecosystem.” The initiative targets three pressing national and regional challenges: rural economic resilience, forest health and affordable housing. By advancing technologies across smart forestry, advanced manufacturing and resilient building systems, it aims to revitalize and modernize Oregon’s legacy timber industry and generate high-wage, future-ready jobs in both rural and urban communities. Mass timber, an engineered wood product, can be made from small-diameter logs and underutilized timber species, providing commercial markets for logs thinned from forests to reduce wildfire risk and promote forest health. It provides an alternative to steel and concrete in construction. Due to its ability to be prefabricated in factories, the method speeds production, in housing in particular, and reduces waste and carbon emissions. The new terminal at the Portland International Airport is a visually stunning testament to mass timber’s diverse uses. The initiative proposes to amplify R&D and commercialization in: Smart forestry: high-tech harvesting, fibre supply mapping and assistive technology for loggers Advanced manufacturing and building products: new bio-based materials, robotic fabrication and product innovation Resilient building systems: modular housing, retrofits for seismic and climate resilience and design-for-disassembly strategies The 2023 NSF Engine strategic planning grant allowed the UO to build a regional coalition of more than 90 collaborators — including industry, accelerators, tribal nations, higher education, workforce and career mentoring organizations, and investment firms, including key partners Timberlab, Freres Engineered Wood, the Port of Portland, Oregon State University, Washington State University and Portland Community College — to develop a blueprint for scaling innovation and translation to commercialization. Ms Sheine said the project is a comprehensive strategy to reimagine forest management, revitalize rural communities and strengthen the domestic construction supply chain while creating scalable housing solutions and resilient building systems. “The Oregon Mass Timber Innovation Engine is an extraordinary opportunity to harness use-inspired research and translate innovation into real-world practice,” said Anshuman “AR” Razdan, vice president for research and innovation at the University of Oregon. “The proposed efforts leverage the world-class research and innovation capacity from our state’s R1 research intensive institutions while driving workforce and economic growth for Oregonians, particularly those in rural areas.” The NSF Engines program, launched in 2022, is designed to supercharge regional innovation ecosystems and foster economic growth in critical technology areas. The program has already yielded a tenfold return on federal investment through public-private and philanthropic commitments nationwide.    

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UPM is deepening its over 15-year collaboration with the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) by developing forestry water protection. The new commitment focuses on research into sustainable forestry and the development of new practices in peatlands, among other areas. Source: Timberbiz “As part of our Forest Action forest responsibility program, we want to be at the forefront of promoting sustainable practices in forestry water protection. A lack of clear, research-backed information in certain areas is still holding back the development of effective practices. We want to offer research plots that can be used to find concrete ways to reduce environmental impacts on water and climate emissions in forests, for example,” says Tuomas Kara, Environmental Manager at UPM Forest. “Research supported by companies can be a significant step forward in finding and mainstreaming more sustainable practices,” says Jussi Heinonsalo, Professor of Forest Sciences at the University of Helsinki.The plots will be integrated into a wider network of plots coordinated by the University of Helsinki, which is open to all researchers to conduct scientific studies. “According to studies, the impacts of forestry on water quality and carbon balance are significant, which supports the promotion of better practices. We will have the opportunity to explore with researchers, in particular open questions related to the regulation of groundwater level and to the carbon cycle, as well as impacts on water bodies,” says Taina Ihaksi, Director of the BSAG Forest Project. New operating models for water protection in forest management In addition to research, practical forestry measures are also being developed as part of the collaboration. New guidelines are being drawn up for water protection in forestry, both for UPM’s own forests and privately owned forests. UPM is also committed to communicating the new operating models and guidelines to its forest owner customers. “We aim to give greater attention to water bodies affected by forest management and to take into account their special characteristics. The impacts of forestry on water bodies are addressed through everyday decisions: Which type of regeneration or soil preparation methods are chosen? When to harvest? What kind of machines are used and where? “This is already a part of everyday activities in forestry. However, there is still plenty of room for improvement in preventing environmental harm, and for that, we need more science-based information. Small changes in forest management methods can also help restore water conditions in forests towards a more natural state. Implementing research results requires commitment and continuous training of personnel,” says Ihaksi. Long-term collaboration for the protection of the Baltic Sea will continue. “The collaboration between UPM and BSAG is a great example of long-term and multidimensional work that has succeeded in developing operating methods and finding new solutions. The commitments have covered topics that are central to the Baltic Sea, ranging from harmful chemicals to nutrient recycling and maritime emissions. It’s only natural that the next theme was found in the forest sector,” says Sami Lundgren, Vice President, Responsibility, UPM. Among others, UPM was the first Finnish shipper to commit to BSAG’s Ship Waste Action initiative and to discharge its sewage from sea transport to land for recovery from spring 2022.

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