Top International Research Managers Gather in Knoxville
By Colleen C. Walker

Almost any gathering of professionals in the forest products industry eventually gets around to discussing the need for industry transformation. The decline of newspapers and the rise of tablets and Smart phones, emerging markets, and growth in developing countries have many wondering what is next for our industry.

It is obvious that transformation is needed to carry this industry into the coming decades, and that technology will help us get there. But how to select the right R&D projects?

A TAPPI committee--the International Research Management Committee (IRMC)--is working to this end. Made up of research leaders from forest products companies, supplier companies, research centers, and universities from around the globe, its mission is to enhance R&D management within the industry.

Following are some of the committee's recent activities.

A VISIT TO OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABS
At the end of November, IRMC met in Knoxville, Tenn., for a packed four-day Fall Meeting, which was co-located with Agenda 2020's Fall Meeting. More than 50 people from 9 countries participated, including research managers from pulp and paper companies, supplier companies, universities and research centers, which added great synergy to both groups. "This year's record number of attendees shows that our industry technology leaders understand that the large technical challenges facing our industry will only be solved through a strong collaborative effort," said Program Chair, Dr. Alexander Koukoulas, President of the Herty Advanced Materials Center in Savannah, Georgia.

The meeting began with a visit to Tennessee's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). With a $1.6 billion research budget, ORNL is packed with advanced technology and equipment and renowned technical experts. Jeff Cornett, Manager of Industrial Partnerships & Economic Development, explained that ORNL focuses on helping businesses solve problems and encouraged participants to reach out to the more than 4000 scientists at the facility.

Dr. Michelle Buchanan, Associate Director of Physical Sciences, gave an overview of the lab's core competencies, and Dr. Paul Gilna, Director of ORNL's BioEnergy Science Center, provided an update on the center's work in developing biofuels from cellulosic biomass.

An exciting part of the program was an update on lignin-based carbon fibers led by Tom Rogers, ORNL's Director of Industrial Partnerships, who said that ORNL's goal is to develop a product within five years. The Carbon Fiber Composites Consortium, with more than 40 members, has established a lignin working group that is actively contributing to the project.

The day concluded with a brief tour of the Additive Manufacturing demonstration facility and its 3-D printing work in designing and manufacturing components. Computer models are generated, and material is then laid down in a layer-by-layer process.

ORNL's capabilities and technologies also include three Nexterra wood gasifiers and scientists open to collaboration. Members of IRMC recommended that meeting attendees learn more about ORNL by visiting www.ornl.gov and signing up for its newsletter--the ORNL Review.

THE FUTURE OF PAPER
Featured speaker at the meeting was Dr. Rénu Kulkarni, founder and executive director of FutureMedia--a new center at Georgia Tech's Institute for People and Technology--who spoke on the topic of the future of paper. Kulkarni described how the internet launched changes in the recent past, and how mobility is currently affecting trends in media creation, distribution, and consumption. She discussed the six ways that change is happening right now--smart data, people platforms, content integrity, nimble media, 6th sense, and collaboration.

Dr. Ted Farrington, Senior Research Director with Pepsico Advanced Research, presented a fascinating talk on the Research Foresights tool which uses strategic foresight methods to influence breakthroughs in innovation agendas. He described how this process was used within Pepsico and how the Industrial Research Institute is using this same process to determine how the art and science of research and technology management will change over the next 25 years. Visit www.iriweb.org to learn more about the Industrial Research Institute.

SHARING CHALLENGES
As the goal of the IRMC is to enhance the management of research for the industry, there is great value in sharing experiences in how research managers handle the challenges of adequate funding, securing top talent, and employing the right business model for research and development activities. A panel of research managers from Innventia (Sweden), IPST (USA), FPInnovations (Canada), Empire State Research Institute (USA), NC State University (USA), SAPPI, and International Paper shared their experiences in fostering innovation, transferring innovations to industry, and optimizing internal versus external development activities.

"We are excited about the growth we have had in committee membership and look for it to continue," said IRMC Committee Chairman Dr. Gil Garnier, Director of the Australian Pulp and Paper Institute at Monash University.

AGENDA 2020 REVIEWS R&D PRIORITIES
The fall meeting of Agenda 2020's Technology Alliance reviewed R&D priorities and federal funding opportunities for projects of interest to the forest products industry. Agenda 2020 is the industry's unique forum in the U.S. on science and technology issues. Its mission includes voicing the industry's technology needs, enabling development of new technologies, leveraging industry resources with external funding, and supporting company technology interests.

Agenda 2020's participation was cited as a critical success factor in the DOE funding of a $2.6 million research project to develop sacrificial coatings for membrane-based concentration of weak black liquor. If successful, the technology could be an alternative for the first two evaporator stages.

Responses to government requests for information from Agenda 2020, presented industry perspectives in regard to the proposed $1 billion National Network for Manufacturing Innovation and the DOE Biomass roadmap for conversion technologies for advanced biofuels. Both entries can be viewed online by visiting: www.agenda2020.org.

Recently, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack requested information on opportunities for the U.S. government to support development of nanocellulose applications. Agenda 2020's response outlined a plan for a national R&D program. Federal leaders are suggesting inter-departmental/inter-industry executive briefings to highlight the commercial potential for nanocellulose.

The Knoxville meeting included a review of the industry's evolving research priorities. Members and guests also acknowledged the need to increase the visibility of the industry's research needs as well as the emerging areas of investigation at research institutions, including government labs and agencies, to attract scientists and funding to industry opportunities.

Several opportunities emerged to increase international research collaboration on pre-competitive topics in the industry. One, for example, involves the European COST Action 1150, featuring working groups undertaking fundamental studies of the cell physics in tree growth; impacts of cell structures on pulping, bleaching, and papermaking processes; and mechanisms of biopolymer self-assembly processes. The president of a European research institute commented on the similarity of working with government funding agencies in the U.S. and Europe.

Colleen Walker, Ph.D., is Project Manager and Technical Lead, TAPPI, and can be contacted at cwalker@tappi.org.

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