Renaissance of Wood Building Design and Construction in North America
New engineered wood materials, innovative construction systems and practices and growing consumer concern regarding green alternatives have generated new opportunities and momentum for wood- based solutions in multi-residential, commercial and institutional buildings. This presentation will consider these recent trends and opportunities as well as the important roles played by the research community, regulatory bodies, and government promotional initiatives.
Dr. Ian de la Roche
Dr. Ian de la Roche
Ian first joined the forest sector in 1992 and has served as CEO of Forintek, FERIC and Paprican. In September 2006, he merged the three national institutes into FPInnovations. As its first President, he also had oversight responsibility for the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre.
Dr. de la Roche’s career spans almost 40 years of experience in plant genetics research, strategic planning, and creation of partnerships between government and industry. In the early 90’s, as Assistant Deputy Minister, Communications and Consultation, Agriculture Canada, Ian headed the consultation process for the National Agriculture Review headed by Deputy Prime Minister Don Mazankowski. He later led a very successful Mission Review and Strategic Planning process at Agriculture Canada that involved 10,000 employees. As a former Assistant Deputy Minister at Western Economic Diversification, he played a prominent role in developing and implementing programs promoting business development, commercialization of new technologies and major research and development initiatives involving industry, government and university partners.
Ian was a key architect of the Federal Agriculture Biotechnology Initiative and the International Centre for Agricultural Science and Technology that catalyzed the now very successful Plant Biotechnology Cluster in Saskatoon. Ian stepped down as founding President and CEO of FPInnovations on January 31, 2009. He remains actively engaged in the Forest sector, as Principal of DELAROCHE Consultancy, Adjunct Professor at the Forest Resource Management Department at the University of British Columbia and Business Associate of Timwood Strategic Consulting, a world-leading consultancy which specializing in identifying strategic opportunities for the wood products sector. Among their clients are governments and some of the largest forest product companies in Canada, United States and Europe. Ian remains active on several boards including the Ontario Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-economy and Genome BC.