A Fundamental Review of the Relationships between Nanotechnology and Lignocellulosic Biomass - The Nanoscience and Technology of Renewable Biomaterials - page 21

• research institutions including universities, research institutes, and national labora-
tories;
• industry, universities, research institutions, and federal agencies and departments;
• all of the previous groups from countries around the world.
In moving ahead in the area of nanotechnology, the forest products industry must seize
the opportunity to link with larger nanotechnology research and industrial communities
such as the ongoing efforts of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). The NNI
is a visionary R&D program that coordinates the activities of 25 Federal departments
and agencies and a host of collaborators from academia, industry, and other organiza-
tions. The goals of the NNI are to maintain a world class research and development
program aimed at realizing the full potential of nanotechnology; facilitate transfer of new
technologies into products for economic growth, jobs, and other public benefit; develop
educational resources, a skilled workforce, and the supporting infrastructure and tools
to advance nanotechnology; and support responsible development of nanotechnology.
By linking with communities such as the NNI, the forest products industry would be
able to expand its knowledge of nanotechnology, pool its resources with those of others
pursuing common R&D goals, and advance its own agenda.
The forest products industry nanotechnology roadmap provides a starting point for
focusing the many potential and diverse efforts in nanotechnology for the forest prod-
ucts industry and also serves to further engaging key stakeholders and stakeholder groups
in dialogue, consensus building, and partnership building. The following are some of the
key stakeholder groups such as primary forest products industry producers, converters,
suppliers, and collective industry groups such as AF&PA; Federal departments and agen-
cies (e.g. the USDA Forest Service, USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and
Extension Service, Department of Energy and its national laboratories, National Science
Foundation, and National Institute of Science and Technology); University and Research
Institute/Laboratory Communities (nationally and internationally). A critical step in mov-
ing nanotechnology for the forest products sector forward is to gain consensus among
stakeholders on what the specific focus should be for the short term, mid term, and long
term. It is important that efforts be focused on high-impact, high-priority activities that
will be the most critical to commercial producers of nanomaterials and nanoproducts.

1.11 Forest Products Industry Technology Priorities

The AF&PA Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance has now gone further to identify and
select six high priority thematic areas for further study that are thought to be the key
to re-inventing the forest products industry in the US. The forest products industry has
developed a Forest Products Industry Technology Roadmap . The Forest Products Indus-
try Technology Roadmap provides a framework for reinvigorating the industry through
technological innovations in processes, materials, and markets. These innovations are
aimed at three necessary ingredients for creating a healthy future for the US-based forest
products industry (American Forest and Paper Association 2006):

1. achieving operational excellence in the production of existing and new products;
2. developing new value streams from wood resources; and