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Fellowship trip can benefit Australian industry

Dr Mihai Daian is a wood technologist on a mission. He’s set to embark on fact-finding mission that could have far-reaching effects on Australia’s forestry and wood manufacturing industry. Source: Timberbiz

“At the end of 2012, Gottstein Trust Trustees awarded me with a 2013 Gottstein Trust Fellowship for my proposal ‘Non-traditional cellulose products – Opportunities for innovation, diversification and development for the Australian forestry and wood manufacturing industry,” he said.

“As you can see my project focus is on non-traditional cellulose products, with a focus on bio-refining and bio-processing, topics related to those that recently were getting huge interest through the SA Government investments and AFPA commitment to investigate this area of opportunity for our industry.”

Dr Daian has extended an invitation to companies and organisations working in the industry that may be interested in the work he plans to do as part of his Gottstein Fellowship to contact him.

He is scheduled to soon travel to North America to meet and hold discussions with relevant personnel at FPInnovations and also at CelluloForce in Quebec (Canada), then go to Finland’s VTT Research Institute, then possibly to Sweden to a refinery owned by Adytia Birla.

He also hopes to be able to go to the Thai Rayon company in Thailand.

Dr Daian is a wood technologist (BSc in Forestry/Wood Technology) with expertise in wood processing and sustainable development projects.

He has worked in projects, including in Asia, with focus on advanced timber processing for furniture manufacturing, environmental sustainability of timber supply chain, the use of wood for bio-energy generation and the outlook of the Australian hardwood and softwood sectors.

Dr Daian has 10 years experience in various academic, research and consulting roles. He was Research Engineer at Swinburne University, Postdoctoral Research Fellow for Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and research consultant at Fitzpatrick Woods Consulting.

He has a PhD in Forestry/Wood Innovations – Processing of Wood (2006) and a Masters of Science in Agricultural Economics and Management Sciences (2004).

Dr Mihai Daian can be contacted by email [email protected] or visit www.sciencetechconsulting.com.au