About Strategic Initiatives
To meet our mission of delivering integrated research solutions, NRRI is focused on three strategic initiatives that address the challenges of Minnesota’s resource-based economy. These initiatives are bold and long-term efforts to create the economy of the future by incorporating diverse expertise across NRRI, the University system and with our partners.
Initiative Overview
NRRI seeks to assist Minnesota’s incumbent and emerging forest products industries evolve to offer a robust and competitive portfolio of value-add building products, engineered carbon materials, non-fossil fuels and materials while offering carbon sequestration and agro-forestry options.
Impact
To contribute to a clean and vibrant economy, the forest products sector must develop engineered materials that serve contemporary and future societal needs. This evolution must sustain forests and terrestrial ecosystems and maintain a healthy human environment through responsible use of renewable biomass and organic waste streams.
Goal
NRRI researchers are developing engineered materials from renewable resources that address market needs through applied science and engineering. Research is guided by a Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment approach with strategic opportunity management tools. Translating this research to industry offers opportunities in natural climate solutions – carbon centric management and novel materials that offer long-term carbon storage – important economic drivers that will support a resilient forest-based industry sector in the coming decades.
Partners
Partners
- Public forestland owners
- United States Forest Service
- State of Minnesota
- Minnesota Counties
- Private Landowners
- Tribal
- Industrial
- Family-owned
- Habitat Conservation Organizations
- Ruffed Grouse Society
- Environmental Organizations and NGOs
- The Nature Conservancy
- Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota
- Industry and private sector
- Minerals and metals Industries
- Wood Products Industry
- Energy and Power Generation Industry
- City and County Government
- City of Minneapolis
- Becker County
- City of Duluth
- USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Future Forest Industries Projects
The ForCAST tool attempts to provide forestry professionals and land managers with an opportunity to evaluate how a changing climate and changing markets might affect Minnesota’s forests and
Demonstration of a Thermally Modified Eastern Larch Boardwalk to Catalyze New Markets for Low-value Timber.
Recent News
From the tree tops to boots on the ground, this avian ecologist enjoys his role in informing forest management
More than ‘just the facts,’ researchers lean into ‘acts’ and ‘pacts’ to address challenges of a changing world
Temperatures and habitat changes push species into ‘Zone of Sympatry’ with northern cousins.