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The Forestry and Forest Products (FFP) Research Centre - an initiative of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the CSIR - focuses on the afforestation and planning component of the value chain, aimed at creating an impact on the processing component.
Research is directed at understanding the fibre characteristics of timber, the properties of the raw material, how this knowledge can add value in processing operations, and how processing can be improved.
This research builds on existing worldclass capability, and is rendered in support of the global competitiveness of South African forest products companies. The primary focus lies in the optimisation of plantation forest resources grown for the pulp and paper industry, aimed at maximising fibre quality, value and uniformity of wood fibre entering pulp and paper mills. The key value addition lies in supporting companies to better understand the quality of the fibre resources that they own, or buy, and to support them in extracting maximum value from that resource. Key competencies are in wood chemical and physical properties, wood anatomy, pulp and paper manufacture, remote sensing, geographic information services (GIS), and tree physiology.
Access to state-of-the-art equipment at the Centre ensures that relevant quality research is conducted.
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