This year, for the first time, the prestigious Schweighofer Innovation Prize included participation of a North American forest products company. Canfor Corp. sponsored 10 researchers from universities across North America to attend the prize ceremony and present as part of the wood innovation workshop in Vienna, Austria on June 15 and 16, 2015.
Canfor, one of the world’s largest integrated forest products companies, is committed to innovation in the forest sector and mentoring the next generation of sustainability-minded forestry leaders.
Canfor CEO Don Kayne stated: “The business models of tomorrow are innovative and sustainable. The “From Knowledge to Innovation” workshop in Vienna takes place at a very high level. We want to support the researchers of the next generation and give them the opportunity to engage in dialogue with each other and to benefit from international exchange.”
The Schweighofer Prize awards innovative ideas, technologies, products and services in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the forest-based sector. This year’s winners were related to engineered wood products for the construction sector.
The students’ wood innovation workshop, sponsored by the Schweighofer Foundation and Canfor, is an event that brings together forestry, wood science and technology students from all over the world to network and cross-innovate.
Since 2003, the Schweighofer Prize is presented every second year and donated by the Austrian Schweighofer family, who has been engaged in the European woodworking industry for generations. This year’s prize ceremony was attended by more than 700 delegates from 41 countries.