Technology and the Canadian Forest-Product Industries ... - ArtSites

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product. One, by no means atypical, firm said developmental workonly began after an idea had been accepted by a customer so that thefirm was "never left with a prototype." For firms that see R&D as anoccasional activity to maintain the status quo, acquisition by a moregrowth-oriented firm with a continuous R&D cycle can be a source ofunanticipated discomfort. For example, a new parent company mayinsist that investment in R& D be determined as a fixed percentage ofsales.In-House R&D by Chemical SuppliersThe pulp and paper industry is a major user of chemicals, and chemicalcompanies have a long history of innovation especially withregard to pulping and bleaching processes. Within Canada the largestchemical-based pulp and paper R&D laboratory is operated by CIL inMississauga, and ERCO also has been involved in R&D especiallythrough contract work at the University of Toronto. The major chemicalsuppliers, including CIL, are foreign-owned. With the exception ofCIL, these companies have centralized their R&D laboratories outsideCanada.CIL already had a long-established R&D laboratory with expertisein pulp and paper and mineral extraction when British-based lCIacquired the firm in 1954. CIL'S first research centre was established atMacMasterville, Quebec in 1916. A new pulp and paper chemicalsresearch laboratory was also established there in 1953. In 1980 it wasrelocated to Sheridan Park, Mississauga (adjacent to the R&D centreof Abitibi-Price).CIL has retained responsibility for specific areas of lCI groupresearch including pulp and paper. Although it is unusual for a broadbasedchemical manufacturer such as CIL to pursue R&D in an areanot directly related to its own activities, the pulp and paper industryis an important market for bulk chemicals such as chlorine and causticsoda. Pulp bleaching has been a major research subject since 1953.Developments in the 1950s and 1960s led to investigation of oxygenpulping and to the discovery of AQ pulping technology, which hasbeen patented worldwide and is regarded as a major innovation. Atpresent, bleaching and pulping are the chief interests of CIL'S ChemicalResearch Laboratory.In 1984 the two chemical firms in Canada with in-house R&D onpulp and paper likely budgeted $4.5 million, and employed about 40professionals and technicians.42
Specialized R&D PerformersAlthough not many small R&D firms serve the Canadian forestproductindustries, here are a few examples, principally from BritishColumbia, of the types of individuals and companies that do specializedR&D for the forest-product industries.Independent InventorsThe "independent inventor" is an academic or a government scientistwho seeks to commercialize an invention. For example, while on theforestry faculty at the University of British Columbia, J. Walters haspatented various machines including a tree planter. Typically the independentinventor retains his or her affiliations unless an inventionbecomes spectacularly successful.Technical Entrepreneurs"Technical entrepreneurs" sever their connections with large companiesand set up spin-off firms. For example, C.M. Mitten hadworked in a senior capacity in the R&D department of a sawmillingequipment manufacturer for about 20 years. Recently he set up hisown spin-off company, Cetec Engineering in British Columbia's DiscoveryPark at Burnaby to develop, among other innovations, a"smart saw." The "smart saw" includes a circular saw blade that canregulate its own temperature. It was marketed in 1984 and thecompany expects sales of $20 million over the next 10 years. Morerecently, Cetec has been working on a rimsaw that it claims "couldrevolutionize the sawing industry's cutting technology."28 Usingfunds from the federal government, Cetec has developed a prototyperimsaw with only one moving part, which will cost just half the priceof a contemporary type of band mill. Trials have been run in cooperationwith MacMillan Bloedel, and Cetec believes its rimsaw couldreplace 80 per cent of existing band mills. The company plans tolicense this and other products to a local equipment manufacturer.R&D Service CompaniesAn example of an R&D service company is provided by Econotech,located in Richmond, British Columbia. Econotech was originally theR&D division of Columbia Cellulose (Cocel), which was set up atPrince Rupert and relocated to Vancouver in the mid-1960s because ofrecruiting difficulties. At its peak Cocel's R&D division employed80-90 people and was largely concerned with pulping processes,especially dissolving pulps that are used in a variety of productsincluding cellophane, plastic handles, and cigarette filters. Cocel, asubsidiary of the Celanese Co. of New York, was the conglomerate's43
Page 3 and 4: Science Council of Canada100 Metcal
Page 5 and 6: ContentsForewordAcknowledgments1113
Page 7 and 8: In-House R&D by Equipment Suppliers
Page 9 and 10: Table 2.5: R&D Employment in 10 Can
Page 11 and 12: ForewordTechnological innovation an
Page 14 and 15: adapted sufficiently rapidly to the
Page 16 and 17: Finally, the author interviewed sen
Page 18 and 19: Table 1.3: Degree of Foreign Contro
Page 20 and 21: Figure 1.1: Innovation Patterns and
Page 22 and 23: Since 1945 the pace of technologica
Page 24 and 25: Toward Reliance on Research rather
Page 26 and 27: science occurred between 1900 and 1
Page 28 and 29: Forestry Sector R&D SystemIn Canada
Page 30 and 31: up its forestry research group at N
Page 32 and 33: and one other that was strongly ori
Page 34 and 35: closely involved in the establishme
Page 36 and 37: to vet and control research priorit
Page 38 and 39: In-House R&D by Equipment Suppliers
Page 42 and 43: only internal source of dissolving
Page 44 and 45: of which only 18 per cent came from
Page 46 and 47: New information can be generated by
Page 48 and 49: Chapter 3The R&D System andHow It W
Page 50 and 51: Table 3.2: Summary Characteristics
Page 52 and 53: Sixteen firms provided details on s
Page 54 and 55: The Opco Process: A Case Study of I
Page 56 and 57: however, within the last two decade
Page 58 and 59: in 1959, and a full-scale experimen
Page 60 and 61: Papritection was developed as follo
Page 62 and 63: Further tests were conducted in 198
Page 64 and 65: fully automatic machines, and its s
Page 66 and 67: Chapter 4Technological Capability a
Page 68 and 69: Table 4.2 provides measurements of
Page 70 and 71: forest-product equipment patents, w
Page 72 and 73: Foreign-Ownership and In-House R&DT
Page 74 and 75: Technological Liaisons: Forest-Prod
Page 76 and 77: for this deficiency the federal gov
Page 78 and 79: On the other hand, three of the lea
Page 80 and 81: one of Sweden's forest-products gia
Page 82 and 83: Capital Investments in the Canadian
Page 84 and 85: and Quebec accounted for 33.9 per c
Page 86 and 87: Table 5.5: Canadian Forest-Product
Page 88 and 89: Scandinavian manufacturers are in t
Page 90 and 91:
was implemented smoothly and manage
Page 92 and 93:
the foundations were poured, until
Page 94 and 95:
inherent capabilities were never fu
Page 96 and 97:
especially in the east, has receive
Page 98 and 99:
"export staples mentality." The bel
Page 100 and 101:
size of the conglomerates would cer
Page 102 and 103:
the concept of flexibility explicit
Page 104 and 105:
This author therefore recommends th
Page 106 and 107:
with respect to technology transfer
Page 108 and 109:
of the R&D system and influence the
Page 110 and 111:
operations, attitudes toward innova
Page 112 and 113:
limited R&D base, but they do empha
Page 114 and 115:
The small size and non-innovative n
Page 116 and 117:
Promoting In-House R&D in the Fores
Page 118 and 119:
Notes1. The Technological Challenge
Page 120 and 121:
7. For example, nj. Daly, "Weak Lin
Page 122 and 123:
7. P.G. Mellgren and E. Heidersdorf
Page 124 and 125:
this R&D facility has become even s
Page 126 and 127:
3. K. Noble, "Forest Industry Urged
Page 128 and 129:
Publications of the ScienceCouncil
Page 130 and 131:
Reports on Matters Referred by the
Page 132 and 133:
No. 40. Government Regulation of th
Page 134 and 135:
1981An Engineer's View of Science E
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