Premium
The challenge of change
Author(s) -
Pickard Robert
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
nutrition bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1467-3010
pISSN - 1471-9827
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-3010.2004.00416.x
Subject(s) - business , futures studies , sustainability , marketing , sustainable agriculture , government (linguistics) , commission , ecology , linguistics , philosophy , finance , artificial intelligence , computer science , biology
Business globalization has become a dominant trend in most modem enterprises. The globalization of the pulp and paper industry has heralded new challenges and opportunities. Today’s paper industry provides high-quality consumer products that are in worldwide demand and support the lifestyles of our new global economy. And yet, from these successes originate many of the current and future difficulties of the industry. Various paper industry leaders have stated that the capital requirements of manufacturing paper products are too high and are limiting creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit of the industry. Coupled with these challenges, the emergence of low-cost fiber resources outside the Northem Hemisphere has contributed to further pressures on the paper industry to significantly reduce its manufacturing costs through a major redesign of core manufacturing technologies. Within these difficulties are disguised but unparalleled opportunities for researchers to efficaciously develop new biotechnology-based processes for our industry. These new technologies must reduce the capital costs of pulp production, be readily implemented in the mill, and provide exceptional return for the resources invested if they are to be commercially feasible. This paper will review the operational needs of the pulp and paper industry and how biotechnology can contribute to its future. The road to this future will entail the development of new global partnerships between industry, governments, and academic organizations. These new research partnerships will be linked together by the Web, coordinated by industry and government, and will utilize the best research expertise and facilities available in the world. These collaborative efforts will generate higher value fiber resources, lower total manufacturing costs, and develop new materials from which new products can be designed and manufactured. In summary, it is time to embark on this journey of change and biotechnology is well positioned to become a critical element in achieving industry success.