The Government of Canada is investing in a study to improve the millwork, cabinet, and furniture industries while strengthening Canada’s forest sector from coast to coast to coast. 

Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, by finding innovative ways to leverage new market opportunities, Canada is ensuring the global competitiveness of its forest sector. 

Wilkinson announced a $1-million contribution to the Wood Manufacturing Cluster of Ontario (WMCO) to support a study involving 10 collaborating wood manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across three industry segments (cabinetry, commercial millwork, and furniture). 

This study will highlight the importance of industry-led clusters to identify and leverage new opportunities for the wood manufacturing sector.“Canada’s competitive and resilient forestry sector supports good, middle-class jobs in communities across the country — including in Indigenous, rural and remote communities,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources. “This represents the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Canadians. The funding announced today will support innovative Canadian SMEs, helping them to seize new opportunities for business and workers in the wood manufacturing sector while showcasing the benefits of industry-led collaboration.”

This project aims to integrate Industry 4.0 technology for the optimization of information and material flow to establish an industry roadmap for SMEs. This roadmap will enable future investments and demonstrates the role of Canada’s forest manufacturing enterprises in utilizing innovative technologies. This investment will allow Canadian businesses to diversify and can help to sustain Canada’s forest sector while creating best business practices on the road to net zero by 2050.

Funding for this project is provided through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation program, which encourages the Canadian forest sector to adopt innovative technologies and processes to establish new product streams and emerging markets. By investing in innovative forest sector technologies, the forest sector is providing greener solutions that help tackle climate change and transition to a low-carbon economy while increasing its competitiveness on a national and global scale.