QUÉBEC -- Éric Vaillancourt, Vice President of Canlak Inc. (pictured below), joined by Université Laval and industrial partners, announced a new research project that aims to position Canada as a global leader in ecologically responsible interior wood finishing and densification using innovative practices and solutions. "The new infrastructure takes the form of an Industrial Research Chair in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and a cooperative research and development project (CRD). It will solidify a unique research partnership," according to Andrée-Anne Stewart, Media Relations, Université Laval. The Partnership will differentiate itself by including the complete value chain for finishing interior wood products.
The NSERC-CANLAK Industrial Research Chair was made possible thanks to a five-year $3.7- million CAD investment by NSERC, $2.2 million of which was a contribution of the industrial partners. "The decision to invest in the NSERC-CANLAK Research Chair is in line with our company’s mission of focussing our efforts towards the development of high quality and innovative products, enabling Canlak to maintain its position as a leader in the wood coatings industry," according to Normand Guindon, President & CEO at Canlak Inc. "The innovative concepts proposed by the Chair will enable Canlak to continue its progression by ensuring that its clients can benefit from the latest technological developments," he said.
The program will provide training for at least 21 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the chemistry of wood finishing and densification products and in wood densification processes. Twelve undergraduate interns will also be actively involved. They will benefit from a strongly interdisciplinary research environment (chemistry and wood sciences), and they will specialize in the high-demand sector of wood product finishing and densification. The training they will receive is unique in Canada and will help address a shortage of workers in this field.
"The mission for the NSERC-CANLAK Industrial Research Chair for the Finishing of Interior Wood Products is to increase the use of interior wood products by improving the overall performance of finishing products and the densification process, as well as giving them new attributes," said Véronic Landry, Research Chair Holder, Associate Professor in the Wood and Forestry Department, Université Laval. For more information contact
Véronic Landry.
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