The Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance, Washington, D.C., USA, has launched its project, "Technologies for Advanced Manufacturing of Pulp and Paper Products." The process will begin with open-forum sessions in Atlanta, Ga., and Chicago, Ill., soliciting inputs from all stakeholders, followed in 2015 by collaborative preparation of six detailed roadmaps that define paths for research and implementation. Two broad categories of technological need and opportunity—sustainable manufacturing and advanced biobased materials—will provide an overarching focus for the project.

 

*Those interested in providing input to the project are encouraged to register for one of the events. The Atlanta event will be held November 18 from 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center, 246 Perimeter Center Pkwy., NW, Atlanta, Ga. 30346. Registration and hotel information for the Atlanta Open Forum is available online.

 

The Chicago event is scheduled for December 10 from 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Spring Hill Suites, 8101 Higgins Rd., Chicago, IL 60631. Registration and hotel information for the Chicago Open Forum is also available online. 

 

A registration fee of $75.00 will cover the costs of lunch, beverages, and meeting materials.

 

Further information can be found and comments may be submitted electronically at the Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance website.

 

Agenda 2020 was selected last May for funding by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for a project to map pathways to develop advanced technologies for pulp and paper manufacturing. The grant was awarded under the highly competitive Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMTech) program. 

 

The project leverages extensive work by Agenda 2020 members and partners over the last year to identify and screen opportunities for major reductions in energy consumption and treated water discharges. 

 

Agenda 2020 appointed a new president and executive director, David Turpin, as of July 1 of this year. "Agenda 2020 exists to promote the health of a significant segment of the U.S. economy—the forest products industry—by developing and advancing priority research to improve its processes and products," Turpin observed. "This project, thanks to NIST support, provides a special opportunity to engage the industry’s many stakeholders in improving its sustainable manufacturing practices and global competitiveness. 

 

"As a top employer in 48 states, pulp and paper is very important to many communities across the U.S," Turpin continued. "Developing its processes for even greater energy efficiency and additional reductions in environmental impacts will protect U.S. jobs and promote energy efficiency and independence." 

 

The Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance is an industry-led consortium that promotes development of advanced technologies for the pulp and paper industry. AMTech, as an integral part of the U.S. Advanced Manufacturing Initiative, is focused on developing advanced technologies to address major technical problems to spur the growth of advanced manufacturing in the U.S., and to identify and prioritize research projects addressing long-term industrial research needs and opportunities. The AMTech awards will create industry-led, shared-vision technology roadmaps for the development of technologies underpinning next-generation and/or transformational innovations.