The Australian Government is partnering with Forest and Wood Products Australia to support research and development into new forestry products through the 2021 National University Wood Challenge.
Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries Jonno Duniam said the 2021 National University Wood Challenge would provide prizes of up to $20,000 for university teams of students and academics to encourage them to further develop their ideas.
“The focus of the 2021 National University Wood Challenge is to harness the creative potential of University teams to create, design and develop innovative timber and wood fibre products,” Assistant Minister Duniam said.
“Inspiring innovation is a key part of our National Forest Industries Plan, which has the ambitious goal to deliver a billion new plantation trees over the next decade.
“These prizes help bring forestry to the forefront in our universities, and inspire new product development and the future minds of the forestry industry.
“There are a variety of opportunities to use Australian wood fibre to create sustainable, renewable and carbon positive products to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
“The prizes will support the teams to bring their innovative, novel or untested ideas for new products to life through the building of a prototype.
“Australia’s forestry industry is renewable and sustainable, and we want to support it as much as we can to enable it to grow.
“Forestry has a strong future, and the Australian Government aims to foster and enable productive, profitable, internationally competitive and sustainable Australian forest and forest products industries.”
For more information, including how to apply, please go to the FWPA webpage www.fwpa.com.au.