Full house as CPIA forum links industry with academia

Approximately 120 people came out for the Canadian Plastics Industry Association’s (CPIA) first Plastics Innovation Forum in Toronto on October 5, an event designed to link plastics industry members with academia.

Attendees heard from eight university professors with emerging technologies in the fields of process optimization, materials and recycling. Also on the agenda was a presentation from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) about its new engage Grant Program, which provides up to $25,000 for collaborative innovation projects; as well as Export Development Canada (EDC) about sources of financing for growth and exports.

Presentations were followed by break-out sessions with academics.

“It was a great event, and if I can just see it from the narrow viewpoint of ‘one professor giving a talk’ I made several important contacts and received a couple of good ideas in return,” said Dr. John Vlachopoulos, professor emeritus at the Department of Chemical Engineering at McMaster University. “The break-out session was very useful, and should be part of any future forum. On the broader side, I can say that it was a rather rare event, where academics talk to such a large audience of industry people and both groups seem to enjoy it.”

The CPIA’s second innovation forum is set for November 29 in Vancouver. “We’re pleased to report that an exciting slate of new technologies will be presented at the B.C. forum,” said Mark Badger, the CPIA’s president and CEO. “Briefs will include polymer compatibilization technologies for recycling, process aids to improve efficiency and quality, and structural composites for industrial applications.”

For more on the Vancouver event, click on this link.