In a letter sent late last week to the premier and the leader of the official opposition, Cariboo North MLA, Bob Simpson is calling on the premier to host a leader’s summit on the bio-economy to begin the process of tapping into a $200 billion market potential of innovative and higher-value uses for B.C.’s wood fibre.
In a recent study commissioned by the Forest Productions Association of Canada, FP Innovations presents a “blueprint that would see the (forest) industry lead the world in innovation and give Canada an advantage in world markets.”
In addition to traditional forest products, potential bio-products include: clothing, plastics, aerospace components, tires, fuels and oils, pharmaceuticals and bio-active paper products for the health industry.
In the letter, Simpson states “What we need is a signal to investors, entrepreneurs and the emerging market that we are serious about taking a leadership role in the
bio-products sector and this
leadership extends beyond partisan politics, which can make the investment community nervous about B.C.”
Simpson continued, “The participation and support of the Leader of the Opposition in this Summit would signal to the world that we are serious about our commitment and that we would be taking a non-partisan approach to this new venture.”
In the letter to both leaders, Simpson concludes, “British Columbians would be well served if both of you would take advantage of this opportunity to work together to re-ignite the traditional engine of B.C.’s economy and spur investment, job creation and rural renewal by positioning B.C. to be the world leader in the bio-economy.”
