Over the years, Resolute Forest Products has provided substantial financial support to universities and colleges to improve education outcomes in our operating communities and to help spark innovation in the forest products sector. In 2022, Resolute donated funds for scholarships, bursaries, research grants and training programs totaling more than $290,000, and our current commitments represent more than $500,000 annually. Here are some examples of our support for education and research, including recently announced initiatives in 2023.
Centre for Multi-Resource Entrepreneurships
Resolute supports the Centre entreprenariat multi-ressources (CEMR) in Dolbeau-Mistassini (Quebec) through an annual contribution of C$50,000. The CEMR is a non-profit organization that supports entrepreneurship and business development in natural resources.
Confederation College TEC Hub
In 2018, Resolute announced a C$150,000 contribution over five years to Confederation College’s Technology, Education and Collaboration (TEC) Hub Campaign in Thunder Bay (Ontario). The partnership helped to establish the state-of-the art training center with best-in-class training opportunities for the region’s youth, as well as developing of a growing pool of highly educated talent ready to begin careers in the forest products sector.
Lakehead University and CRIBE
Resolute proudly supports the research carried out at Lakehead University and the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE) in Thunder Bay in order to explore potential opportunities for sustainable development and developing the circular economy. In addition to collaborating with CRIBE on an aerial imaging initiative, our support for academic research at Lakehead University has focused on: investigations into the environmental impacts of biomass harvest and wastewater treatment processes; assessing climate change impacts on timber resources; the production of water soluble products from tall oil lignin; and benchmarking and modeling caribou and multi-species adaptive management in Northwestern Ontario. In 2022, we contributed over C$240,000 to three different research chairs at the university, as well as close to $20,000 in in-kind donations and $11,300 in student scholarships.
Laval University, FORAC and Indigenous Forestry
Resolute’s annual C$70,000 research grant to the FORAC Research Consortium in Quebec City (Quebec) helps explore ways to improve and align product capacity with short-term product needs, including developing tools to permit the joint planning and operation of wood supply systems. FORAC is a partnership between forest products industry stakeholders and Laval University that brings together specialists with expertise in forestry engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, and information technology.
In 2021, Resolute renewed a five-year, C$175,000 commitment to fund Laval University's educational leadership chair in Indigenous forestry via the Quebec Forest Industry Council, and in 2022, we awarded $38,000 in student scholarships.
University of Quebec at Chicoutimi
Joining leading forestry experts from the Université of Québec in Chicoutimi (UQAC), Resolute is part of a new research consortium focused on the forest products industry’s most pressing issues, including: carbon management and climate change; the impact of human activity on the biodiversity of forest ecosystems; understanding the impact of human activities and natural disturbances on forest growth and ecosystems; learning to optimize renewable resources and derive value from by-products. Effective 2023, we are providing C$350,000 annually to support the consortium’s research for the next five years for a total commitment of $1.75 million.
In 2021, the company also completed a five-year C$1-million donation for the creation of an industrial research chair sponsored by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
University of Quebec in Outaouais
Along with the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI) and some 40 Canadian partners, Resolute began making an annual C$7,000 contribution in 2022 to a five-year, C$6 million research initiative that combines the expertise of university researchers with the experience of companies, provinces, First Nations and non-government organizations. The team from the University of Quebec in Outaouais (UQO), led by Dr. Christian Messier, is field-testing a new approach to forest management that leverages the natural strengths of forest ecosystems to positively shift the public’s perception of forestry while improving the resilience and adaptability of our forests.