IPST Executive Conference Explores Opportunities to Remain Competetive
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 The Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST) at Georgia Tech held an executive conference, led by IPST director Norman Marsolan, March 9-10 in Atlanta, Ga., USA. Twenty representatives from fourteen manufacturing companies and nine people from five supplier companies were on hand, along with six government agencies and industry association representatives including the Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance, TAPPI, the US Department of Agriculture-US Forest Service National Forest Products Lab, and others. Fifteen faculty members of the Institute and Georgia Tech discussed recent research endeavors, opportunities, and results. Conference highlights are available online.
"It was energizing to have such a gathering of intellectual horsepower to spend some time talking about ‘the possible, the practical, and the imaginable,' as one member put it," observed Marsolan. "The conference showcased our broad and deep Georgia Tech faculty expertise, and also leveraged the considerable expertise in the audience."
The conference discussed protecting and improving returns from current assets, product extensions, and new products from forest biomass, as well as management challenges inherent in company transformations. It highlighted IPST's evolving strategy to meet the needs of the forest products industry today. The Institute's strategic thrusts are operational excellence, biorefining, and new products from forest biomaterials, complemented by business and policy capabilities at the Center for Paper Business and Industry Studies and the 50-student graduate education program.
In the photo above Gopal Goyal, who chairs IPST's Research Advisory Committee, addresses the conference.
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