Bio-based industries have been widely heralded as the new engine of environmentally sustainable economic growth. As the name implies, a prominent feature of such industries will be the replacement of processes and products based on non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels and minerals, with those based on living organisms. Agriculture, as the form of human activity most engaged in managing biological systems, is strategically-positioned for a central position in this new economy.
There is an opportunity for agriculture to acquire a new relevance to the Ontario economy
as a source of renewable biomass for the production of chemicals, materials, and fuels.
Ontario's agricultural sector is knowledgeable and experienced in the production of a
multitude of plant materials, and our manufacturing sector has a wide range of input
needs, many of which are currently derived from petroleum or natural gas, but which could
be derived from biomass. The challenge is to determine what crop-based materials best fit
with our industrial needs in the future, and how to develop the complementary genetic,
agronomic and processing components required to meet those needs.
Objective
Develop the research and development capacity to enable Ontario to become the world
leader in biomaterials, with a special focus on the auto industry
Strategy
Develop a collaborative interdisciplinary network, which will include biologists,
engineers, and economists, as well as partners from the agricultural and manufacturing
sectors.
