Investments in Forest Industry
Transformation (IFIT):
- Overview of the updated Program
- Organized by Natural Resources Canada and PAPTAC
When:
Date: May 25, 2021
Time: 14:00 – 15:00 ET
Speakers:
Travis Dagg
Jean-François Levasseur
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About the webinar on IFIT program
The Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) Program was renewed in 2020 with an additional $82.9 million over three years. In the 2021 Budget, the program received a top-up of $54.8M over two years, starting this fiscal year (2021-22). This continued commitment will help bring the next wave of highly innovative, first-in-kind technologies to Canadian forest industry facilities and will solidify Canada’s position as a leader in forest industry transformation.
On May 12, 2021, the Minister of Natural Resources Canada, the Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr., announced the official launch of the IFIT Program’s next Call for Proposals for Capital Investment Projects. You can find the news release here. The deadline to submit a project proposal is Thursday July 22nd, 2021.
In order to assist with the application process and hear from the forest sector, the IFIT Program has partnered with PAPTAC to host a webinar providing information and answering questions from organizations interested in applying. Join us as we provide an overview of the updated IFIT program on May 25, 2021 for the english webinar, as well as on May 27, 2021 for the french webinar.
Since 2010, the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program has supported innovative projects in the Canadian forest sector. The IFIT program aims to create a more competitive and resilient forest sector with a focus on low-carbon projects that result in new or diversified revenue streams.
To date, the program has successfully funded 43 capital investment projects including world-first technologies, advanced bioproducts and new revenue streams for forest sector companies.
These projects are estimated to have secured approximately 6,600 jobs in the forest sector while creating 460 innovation related jobs. The program supports forest-reliant communities and improves the environmental performance of the sector.
For more information, please visit the IFIT website or email the IFIT team.
Travis Dagg
Policy Advisor, Industry Relations and Innovation Programs Division
Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service
Travis holds a Masters degree in sustainable energy from Carleton University and is completing a degree in economic development and innovation at the University of Waterloo.
He is an Emerging Environmental Leader with Leading Change Canada having served in senior management positions with a variety of environmental organizations, most recently with the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change (IC3) at the University of Waterloo. He has extensive experiences connecting with sustainability and innovation leaders to accelerate action on environmental, social and economic issues through workshops, research projects and academic journals focused on climate action, clean energy and innovation.
Since joining Natural Resources Canada, Travis has been influential in supporting international clean technology working groups and leading on the development of key initiatives under Mission Innovation, a global coalition of 25 countries accelerating investment in clean energy innovation, including the development of the first ever youth and Champions program.
As an experienced policy advisor, he has played key roles in the renewal and implementation of a suite of forest sector competitiveness programs, including the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program.
Jean-François Levasseur
Director, Industry Relations and Innovation Programs Division
Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service
Jean-François holds a chemical engineering degree from the University of Ottawa and started his career as process engineer in a variety of operational and managerial roles in Canadian pulp mill operations, including mill process optimization, bioenergy projects and environmental management systems.
He joined Environment Canada where he assumed National leadership roles on high profile issues concerning water pollutants, environmental effects monitoring, air contaminants, toxic substances and climate change related regulatory aspects applicable to the Canadian forest products industry.
Since joining Natural Resources Canada, he has played key roles related to forest industry policy, design and implementation of funding programs supporting the forest sector and bioeconomy opportunities, such as the Pulp & Paper Green Transformation (PPGTP), the Transformative Technologies Program (TTP), the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) and the Indigenous Forestry Initiative (IFI) and the Clean Energy for Rural & Remote Communities (CERRC) programs.
Under his leadership, these programs provided more than $1.4B in strategic R&D and capital investments towards energy efficiency improvements, green energy production and the commercialization of innovative transformative technologies, such as advanced bioenergy, biomaterials, biochemicals and next-generation building products across industrial and Indigenous led forest products facilities.