NSERC Strategic Network Grant on Value Chain Optimization

Canadian academic researchers, in collaboration with FPInnovations managers and researchers are proposing tobuild an NSERC Strategic Research Network on Value Chain Optimization (VCO). In its quest for increasedcompetitiveness of the Canadian forest products industry, FPInnovations has identified VCO as a key part of its Transformative Technologies program. The NSERC VCO Network aims to provide the industry and policy makers with new advanced planning and decision support systems to design and deploy optimized forest bioeconomy networks. New value propositions are to be evaluated from a global value chain perspective. The decision making processes, from strategic to operational, as well as the implementation processes are to be studied within the NSERC VCO Network. Designs of innovative, agile and integrated logistics and manufacturing systems are also expected.The urgent mission of the NSERC VCO Network is to improve the Canadian forest industry competitiveness through forest and business innovation by training the best highly qualified personnel in the emerging field of value chain modeling and by providing analysis tools and decision support for optimization of the modern forest bioeconomy networks. By forest bioeconomy network we mean the entire network of activities and processes from the tree through to the consumers of conventional forest products, new value added products, new fibre products and new biochemical and biofuel products. Through its interdisciplinary research program and its unique research environment, the NSERC VCO network will contribute to the well-being of Canadians, its forest sector as well as to world science and engineering knowledge.