Impressions from the BSMI + MTI Industry and Community Workshop

Image: Participants at the BSMI + MTI Industry and Community Workshop held on November 28, 2025 at The Faculty Club, University of Toronto (photo Valerie Haddad).

The Bioeconomy and Sustainable Materials Institute (BSMI) team has been engaging with industry and communities to discuss its research mandate and activity areas and collaboration for large-scale funding opportunities.

Its latest workshop, co-hosted with the Mass Timber Institute (MTI), was held on November 28 at the University of Toronto Faculty Club and focused on bringing together relevant ecosystem players to identify the most pressing issues that the BSMI should tackle.

Workshop attendees included diverse stakeholders: faculty from U of T, representatives from SvN – Architects + Planners, Mitacs, Pomerleau construction, LAAB Fund, LP, Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO), Whitefeather Forest Community Resource Management Authority (WFCRMA), First Resource Management Group, Canadian Wood Council (CWC), among others.

Addressing the lack of resources and information available on Canadian bioeconomy, innovation for design, construction and engineering professionals, attendees stressed the need for more research and coordination to understand the state of supply chains, innovation pipelines, and knowledge, including key areas like research on standards and certification, as well as accessible and affordable materials and testing infrastructure.

Workshop participants recommended the BSMI lead on mapping the existing knowledge and convert the mapping into a centralized repository, creating a database of key trends, information and resources for researchers, practitioners, and communities. They also spoke about raising awareness through conferences and events that showcase innovators and allow for connection making between researchers, manufacturers, accelerators, designers and engineers.

Ample discussion was also had on the need to prioritize Indigenous knowledge of the forest and promote the Indigenous economy as well as conduct feasibility and case studies on emerging economies, scaling of bio-economy materials and available solutions in construction. Finally, the workshop participants articulated a need for BSMI to create ties with northern research centres and colleges, including those that have vocational programs and could serve to fill training gaps in the sector.

As a next step in January 2026, the team will compete for a five-year Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) award. It plans to spread its mission widely and become a leading Canadian research network that will foster the transformation and innovation of the Canadian bioeconomy.

Watch for updates from the BSMI team in the new year!