The Biomass North Development Centre has shut down after five years in operation.
Executive director Dawn Lambe and project director Francis Gallo made the announcement in a Jan. 27 news release.
“Even though we are closing our doors, we remain passionate about the opportunities a sustainable bioeconomy can yield for Canadians, and we strongly believe that the sector still requires critical foundation pieces to support its growth,” the statement said.
In the statement, the pair said there’s still a need for sustainable supply chains, commitments from provincial governments to support bioheat and biopower, and increased investment into bioproduct innovation. It also called for modernized policy frameworks.
“We have confidence that the strong organizations that continue to develop the sector will meet these needs.”
Launched in North Bay in 2015, the non-profit sector association brought together municipalities, First Nations, small and medium enterprises, industry, academia, and other organizations to advocate for a bioeconomy.
Simply, a bioeconomy promotes the use of biomass – material derived from plants or animals – as the primary source for production of goods, services, or energy.
The centre provided consulting services, conducted international trade missions, hosted an annual biomass conference, and helped businesses with sector research.
Its predecessor, the Biomass Innovation Centre (BIC), operated out of Nipissing University for six years before closing its doors.
