A holistic approach to sustaining a forest and its bioproducts market
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Efficiently extracting hemicellulose is key in forest biorefining.

UMaine's new $10.35 million forest biorefinery research program will build infrastructure to enable Maine's private sector to build an integrated forest biorefinery.

The forest bioproducts research will immediately create more than 40 jobs. The research will lead to new technology that will be commercially licensed or will be spun-off into companies, providing jobs in science and engineering.

The research will augment the state's forest products industry. Paper mills can add new, higher-valued product lines while maintaining current operations. Landowners will see increased demand for their product and a new market for low- and poor-quality trees.

In its holistic approach, the project will be performed by researchers in such disciplines as science, engineering, economics and forestry. UMaine also will partner with those involved in the forest products industry, including landowners, mill operators and other commercial ventures created by new technology. UMaine will collaborate with other colleges and universities in the state, creating new research and educational opportunities for these schools' faculty and students.