£1.2m cash boost to maximise Scotland's wood industry
12:50 07 Aug 2003
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A research consortium led by Napier
University has been awarded a £1.2m grant to help raise the
profile of Scotland's wood industry and improve its
profitability.
In what is the largest research award received by Napier to date
from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, the cash will
be used to create a 'Virtual Centre' that will investigate how best
to maximise the use of Scottish timber in construction.
The research will also promote Scotland as
the world centre of expertise for Sitka spruce, a common species,
widely used in the construction industry.
Other partners include Glasgow University and Forest Research, the
research agency of the Forestry Commission.
Napier will provide engineering expertise, Glasgow will provide molecular research and Forest Research will provide knowledge on how tree growth and forest management affect spruce timber quality.
Timber production and processing make up one of the largest industries in Scotland, contributing £1.4bn to the Scottish economy and supporting over 40,000 jobs, mainly in rural areas.
The Scottish Forest Industries Cluster has calculated that UK market penetration can be increased from 9% to 15% over five years, creating over 1000 new jobs.