Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson speaks during a news conference in Mactaquac, N.B., on Tuesday. He says Ottawa is working on a national forestry sector strategy.Eli J. Ridder/The Canadian Press
The federal government says it plans to invest $50-million in a proposed digital forestry centre in New Brunswick.
Once launched, the goal of the Strategic Innovation Centre in Digital Forestry will be leveraging AI technology to keep the forest industry profitable while protecting the environment.
Canada’s forestry sector has been hard-hit by tightening supply, increased operational costs, low pulp prices and ongoing U.S. tariffs.
The proposed centre is a collaboration between the Northern Hardwood Research Institute and Research New Brunswick, which asked for the federal funding earlier this year.
Research NB says the centre will build a digital twin of New Brunswick’s forests, which could be used to predict the locations of wildfires and pest infestations.
Natural Resources Canada says the centre could become a model for other regions.
The department says the funding is conditional on the project’s final approval. Federal officials say the centre’s total value is estimated at $86-million.
Federal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson said the government is working on a national forest sector strategy that will create the conditions for more initiatives like the forestry centre.
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