A great success for the annual symposium of the Renewable Materials Research Centre (CRMR)!
Under the theme « Braving the climate: reshaping the value chain with panache! », the annual symposium of  the Renewable Materials Research Centre (CRMR) was a great success! Held entirely in presence on November 29, 2023, at Laval University in Quebec City, the event brought together over 92 participants.
The symposium created a multidisciplinary space for sharing and exchanging scientific knowledge and know-how between various stakeholders, including members of the CRMR and presenters from Écobâtiment, various college technology transfer centers (CCTT): Innofibre, Inovem and Serex, Natural Resources Canada, the Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Faculty of Education. It was a great opportunity to bring together all CRMR members and provide a valuable platform for discussing the latest scientific advances, exchanging innovative ideas, and establishing new links. The event also helped foster research and development and promote interdisciplinary collaboration, including with Innofibre, Inovem Serex, and other faculties.
Véronic Landry, director of the CRMR and full professor in the FFGG’s wood and forestry sciences department, opened the symposium by expressing her gratitude to the participants, presenters, and panelists for their involvement and participation in the CRMR’s annual symposium.
Symposium opening by Véronic Landry
The symposium began with a presentation focusing on « Materials in the building life cycle» by Francis Pronovost, Energy and Building Consultant at Écobâtiment. This conference covered various aspects of building materials, such as their choice, durability, environmental impact, and contribution to the energy efficiency of buildings. It also discussed the various stages of the building life cycle, including production, construction, use, and end-of-life of materials, while emphasizing the importance of taking these factors into account right from the design stage of buildings in order to promote sustainability and minimize the ecological footprint. Many thanks to Antoine Harel for moderating this panel.
Francis Pronovost’s conference
Our students have demonstrated again their expertise in transferring their research results aimed at reducing carbon footprints for a more sustainable future into clear and understandable language. This reflects not only their expertise in their respective fields, but also their ability to share their knowledge in an accessible and engaging way with a wider audience. This undeniably promotes collective scientific appreciation and understanding.
The poster session was particularly dynamic, with 31 posters, providing stimulating exchanges and discussions for the presenters in a dynamic setting with the participants. Students are evaluated by a panel of judges made up of professors, research professionals and postdoctoral fellows. Thank you, judges, for your support during this event.
With the support of the CRMR, four prizes were offered to student members, in recognition of the quality of their scientific posters!
The afternoon was reserved for a series of CCTT conferences, moderated by Charles Breton, followed by an enriching round-table discussion on research projects, innovative products, and initiatives aimed at shaping a more sustainable future and reducing carbon footprints, particularly in the context of climate change.
The first conference, given by Jean-Philippe Jacques, Director at Innofibre, focused on « The biobased economy: reshaping the value chain with panache ». The second presentation was led by Houssein Awada, Scientific Director at Inovem, and focused on « Initiatives to reduce carbon footprints ».  Pape Diouf, co-director general of Serex, presented « Serex initiatives for a sustainable & circular future ». This scientific marriage with the CCTTs aims to forge closer links between areas of expertise, and thus create new research collaborations soon.
Jean-Philippe Jacques’ conference
Houssein Awada’s conference
Pape Diouf’s conference
The final activity of the day was a round-table discussion covering a wide range of topics related to the symposium theme « Braving the climate: reshaping the value chain with panache! ». The round table was moderated by Nancy Gélinas, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, Geography and Geomatics (FFGG). Round table participants were: Nadia Lehoux, Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Laval University;  Yan Boulanger, Forest Ecology Researcher, Natural Resources Canada; and Pierre Valois, Full Professor, Faculty of Education, Laval University.
The main objective of the round table was to discuss how to improve economic, environmental and social efficiency for the renewable materials value chain in a climate change context. Several ideas and initiatives were discussed, including the integration of the circular economy into current practices; the implementation of innovative strategies for rapid change consistent with climate change objectives; the role of businesses in the transition to a more sustainable value chain; and the potential of the buildings sector to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in Canada.
By implementing these ideas and promoting research into sustainable technologies, as well as supporting innovative solutions and initiatives, we can all – government agencies, businesses and universities (researchers and students) – make a significant contribution to the transition to a more sustainable value chain in Canada! With that, Nancy concluded the symposium’s round table.
From left to right: Pierre Valois, Yan Boulanger and Nadia Lehoux
Pierre Blanchet, co-director of the CRMR and full professor in the FFGG’s Department of Wood and Forest Sciences, closed the day’s proceedings with a convivial cocktail, bringing all present together to exchange ideas and deepen their knowledge. He thanked the organizing committee for their hard work and commitment to the success of the symposium. He also expressed his gratitude to the participants (graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, professors, and employees) for their involvement, sharing and exchange of constructive ideas, and expressed his great enthusiasm for promoting collaborations with the various stakeholders.
Véronic Landry, Director of the CRMR, brought the symposium to a fitting close by announcing the winners of the poster competition prizes.
Congratulations to our student prize winners:
- Gym Clerc Lentsolo Yalli won Best Scientific Poster ($350)!
- Jeremy Piggot Navarrete won second best scientific poster ($250)!
- Manon Beaufils-Marquet won third best scientific poster ($150)!
- Amirouche Sadaoui won the Coup de Coeur prize ($50)!
On the left is gym
From left to right: Jeremy Piggot Navarrete and Évelyne Thiffault
From left to right: Manon Beaufils-Marquet and Nancy Gélinas
From left to right: Amirouche Sadaoui and Pierre Blanchet
The CRMR 2023 annual symposium organizing committee
The realization and success of this symposium are due to the perseverance and involvement of a modest group of people who have worked tirelessly since June 2023: Véronic Landry, Pierre Blanchet, Besma Bouslimi, Antoine Harel, Charles Breton, Alex Mary, Amirouche Sadaoui, Assira Keralta, Maxime Parot, Jeremy Michael Piggot Navarrete, Liza Abid, Vahideh Akbari, Dario Samper Hernandez, Caroline Trahan and Sylvie Langevin. Their dedication and collective contributions undoubtedly played a crucial role in making this special event possible.
Thanks
The organizing committee would like to express its profound gratitude to all participants and presenters for their exceptional commitment and the enriching sharing of results from various research and development projects at this event. The different perspectives, innovative ideas, and shared experiences contributed to making this symposium a meaningful and fruitful experience for the entire attending community. We hope you enjoyed the experience too, and look forward to fruitful collaborations in the future.
Many thanks also to our graphic designer Julie Ferland, Luc Germain and Maylis Carrère for making the wooden cockades for the speakers, and to the team who provided logistical and technical support for the colloquium: Mireille Racine and Kaven Després! Special thanks also to Jenny McKenzie for her help with the cocktail party!
Responsible for communication: Besma Bouslimi
Photo credit: Antoine Harel and Besma Bouslimi