*** Presentations are available below ***
The Eastern Lake Ontario Regional Innovation Network (ELORIN) proudly hosted the Biofibres International Symposium on 15-16 August 2007 at the Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront.
The annual Eastern Ontario event, which dates back to 2003, was broadened in 2007 as an international symposium of experts in biofibres research, industry, and agriculture. Speakers from across North America and Europe came to Kingston to share their expertise on subjects ranging from designer feedstocks, primary processing, and grain optimization, to hemp as a solution to global challenges in nutrition, energy, and infrastructure.
Among the distinguished international speakers were Mike Duckett (Hemcore, England), Bernard Rice (Teagasc, Ireland), Laure Geiger (Institut Technique du Chanvre, France), and Zuzana Finta (Rudolf Fleischmann Research Institute, Hungary).
As a segment of the conference, a series of tours was provided, including: a guided visit to hemp plots in the Belleville region; an industrial tour of Performance Plants Inc., an elite plant biotechnology company headquartered in Kingston; and a hands-on introduction to Loyalist College’s world-class CO2 Supercritical Fluid Extraction Facility.
Colin MacDougall, a Civil Engineer at Queen's University, was presented with this year's ELORIN Grant Award for Innovation in Agriculture. He was recognized for his groundbreaking research on biofibres in construction. This annual tradition was established by ELORIN in 2006 in recognition of the outstanding contribution of two innovative Eastern Ontario farmers, Grant Moorcroft and Dale Grant, in discovering innovative ways to keep farming healthy and profitable, seeking out new opportunities and developing niche markets for hemp.
This symposium marks a significant advancement for members of the biofibres industry in Eastern Ontario, placing the region on the world stage for innovation and showcasing local expertise in plant breeding (John Baker, Stonehedge BioResources Ltd.), biomasonry (Colin MacDougall, Queen’s University), and biotechnology (David Dennis, Performance Plants Inc.).
Over 100 people registered for the Symposium from across Canada, the United States, Europe, and South America.
PRESENTATIONS
Shelagh McDonald, Executive Director, ELORIN
2MB
David Dennis, President and CEO, Performance Plants Inc. (Ontario)
"Harvesting the sun for food and energy"
2.5MB
Dave Smardon, President, BioEnterprise Corporation (Ontario)
"Commercializarion as an extreme sport"
0.5MB
Anndrea Schorzman-Hermann, University of Manitoba (Manitoba)
"Production practices optimizing grain production of industrial hemp"
1MB
Bernard Rice, Principal Research Officer, Teagasc (Ireland)
0.5MB
Denis Rho, Research Officer, National Research Council of Canada (Quebec)
“A Canadian S&T Initiative for natural fibres, biochemicals, and
biomaterials from flax”
4.5MB
Laure Geiger, Chargée de mission, Institut Technique du Chanvre (France)
1MB
Colin MacDougall, Professor, Queen's University (Ontario)
"Research on biofibres in construction"
2.5MB
Zuzana Finta, Researcher, Rudolf Fleischmann Research Institute (Hungary)
"Hemp breeding and cultivation in Hungary"
1MB
Mike Duckett, Managing Director, Hemcore Ltd (United Kingdom)
"Hemcrete: A Carbon Negative Construction System"
4MB
Mike Duckett, Managing Director, Hemcore Ltd (United Kingdom)
"Overview of European Bast Fibre Primary Processing"
2MB
Gordon Scheifele, Research Scientist, Ontario Hemp Alliance (Ontario)
"The Ontario Hemp Alliance breeding program for developing Ontario hemp grain varieties"
3.5MB
John Baker, Founder and President, Stonehedge Bio-Resources Ltd. (Ontario)
"Developing industrial designer feedstock hemp varieties based on Upper Canada hemp genetics"
2MB
SPONSORS
ELORIN wishes to thank all of our sponsors for their generous support of the Biofibres International Syposium.