The CRMR 2026 Annual Symposium: A Day and a Half of Reflection, Innovation, and Knowledge Sharing!

Under the theme « Science in Motion: Building on Lessons Learned », the 2026 Annual Symposium of the  Renewable Materials Research Centre (CRMR) was held on October 14 and 15, 2026, at Laval University. The event brought together more than 80 participants from academia, industry, and government to discuss scientific advances, emerging challenges, and future perspectives in the fields of renewable materials and forestry.

Over the course of a day and a half, keynote presentations, a panel discussion, student presentations, and networking sessions explored a wide range of topics, including scientific research, sustainable innovation, the bioeconomy, and the valorization of renewable resources. The program highlighted the diversity of expertise within the CRMR and its networks while fostering collaboration among researchers, industry representatives, and public-sector stakeholders.

The symposium opened with welcoming remarks from Véronic Landry, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable and Bio-Based Polymer Systems, UL. She expressed her appreciation to all participants, speakers, and panelists, emphasizing the importance of bringing together complementary expertise to address major research challenges through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and forward-looking discussions. She also underscored CRMR’s key role in fostering interdisciplinary research partnerships that support innovation and accelerate the development of more sustainable and environmentally responsible renewable materials.

Drawing on his expertise in ecological economics, biodiversity, and ecosystem service valuation, Dupras highlighted the importance of research that is collaborative, socially relevant, and capable of informing decision-making and supporting societal transitions. He also outlined FRQ’s strategic priorities and emphasized the importance of open, collaborative, and impactful research.

Throughout the symposium, presentations covered a broad range of issues related to renewable materials, forestry, and the transition toward a sustainable bioeconomy. Topics included forest economics, biomass valorization, carbon storage, energy infrastructure in forest environments, open science, and even the connections between wood science and the fine arts.

A specialist in economic analysis applied to the energy, natural resources, and forestry sectors, Mr. Larouche is widely recognized for his expertise in several strategic areas, including energy pricing, forest biomass-based biofuels, climate change, and the competitiveness of Quebec’s forest industry. In a context marked by market volatility, evolving trade policies, and structural changes within the sector, he provided an insightful overview of the current state of Quebec’s lumber market and highlighted the main challenges facing the forest industry.

Beyond analyzing current market conditions, the presentation encouraged reflection on the factors necessary to ensure the long-term vitality and sustainability of Quebec’s forest sector. It underscored the importance of innovation, market diversification, adaptation to emerging economic realities, and the sustainable use of forest resources. These are all essential drivers for strengthening the sector’s resilience, maintaining its competitiveness, and supporting its contribution to Quebec’s economic development. Special thanks to Samuel Roy-Proulx for moderating this presentation and facilitating the rich and engaging discussions it inspired.

Organized and moderated by Véronic Landry, this presentation highlighted the opportunities offered by innovation and applied research to transform climate change-related challenges into value-creation opportunities for the forest sector. A researcher at Innofibre since 2014, Nathalie Bourdeau is recognized for her expertise in biomass valorization and the development of bio-based products. Romain Trégaro, a project manager at CERFO, focuses on forest adaptation to climate change and knowledge transfer to stakeholders in the forestry sector.

Together, they demonstrated the potential of emerging forest species and bio-based products to create value from transforming forest resources. At the intersection of forestry, innovation, and the bioeconomy, their presentation also emphasized the importance of applied research and collaboration between the scientific and forestry communities in supporting the adaptation and sustainable transformation of Québec’s forests.

Véronique Rouleau, a researcher at Université Laval and a professional forest engineer, focuses on carbon storage and stabilization mechanisms in managed forest soils. In her presentation, « Beyond Carbon Stocks: Understanding the Effects of Forest Harvesting on Soil Carbon », she shared the results of her research conducted under the supervision of Evelyne Thiffault (CRMR) and Christine Martineau (Canadian Forest Service). Her work provided valuable insights into the fundamental role of forest soils in the carbon cycle and the processes that influence long-term carbon stability. By examining the effects of different forest management practices, she demonstrated the importance of considering soil as a key component of climate change mitigation strategies and sustainable forest management. The presentation shed light on the complex interactions between forestry activities and carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems, while emphasizing the need for rigorous scientific approaches to guide management decisions. Special thanks to Manon Mestre for moderating this session and for fostering the enriching discussions that followed.

For her part, Flavia Braghiroli, Professor at the Forest Research Institute (IRF) of UQAT, presented her work on the valorization of tannins extracted from black spruce bark in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. Her research focuses on transforming various residual materials, including forest residues, bark, end-of-life biomass, and industrial effluents, into biochar, bio-oil, and innovative materials with strong environmental potential. Her presentation outlined the different stages of this process, from tannin extraction to techno-economic analysis. In doing so, she demonstrated the potential of forest coproducts as drivers of innovation and value creation within a circular bioeconomy framework. Special thanks to Lucie Dehon for moderating this session and for facilitating the rich discussions that followed.

The second day of the symposium opened with an inspiring presentation by Tatjana Stevanovic, Professor in the Department of Wood and Forest Sciences. Internationally recognized for her research on bioactive molecules derived from forest biomass and lignins, she presented her book Wood and Forest Molecules in the Fine Arts: Renaissance Painting and Printmaking, the result of research conducted during her sabbatical leave in 2023.

At the crossroads of wood science, art history, and heritage conservation, the presentation highlighted the fascinating and often overlooked connections between forest-derived materials and Renaissance artistic practices. It demonstrated how knowledge of wood-based materials and their chemical compounds contributes to a deeper understanding of works of art, their creation, and their preservation. This exploration of a field where science, culture, and artistic creation intersect offered a unique perspective on the scope of wood science research and the potential of interdisciplinary approaches to enrich knowledge and open new avenues for research. We would like to thank Maxime Parot for moderating this presentation and for the quality of the discussions that followed.

Moderated by Professor Alain Cloutier, the morning continued with a presentation by Samuel Roy-Proulx, a postdoctoral researcher at UL under the supervision of Professor Evelyne Thiffault. Entitled « Ecological Impacts of Power Line Rights-of-Way: Plant Diversity, Carbon Storage, and Forest Soil Dynamics », his presentation explored the effects of high-voltage transmission corridors on Québec’s forest ecosystems.

Holding a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from UQAM, Samuel Roy-Proulx focuses on the interactions between energy infrastructure, biodiversity, forest soils, and carbon storage. Through the results of his research, he highlighted the ecological transformations observed within power line rights-of-way, particularly with respect to vegetation composition, soil dynamics, and carbon sequestration processes.

His presentation also underscored the importance of gaining a better understanding of the impacts of these infrastructures on forest environments in order to promote management practices that balance the needs of the energy transition with the preservation of ecosystem functions. This work demonstrated the potential of power line corridors as valuable study systems for improving our understanding of the complex interactions among land-use planning, biodiversity, and climate change.

Alain Webster’s Presentation,  Full Professor at the Université de Sherbrooke and Chair of the Québec Government’s Advisory Committee on Climate Change.

One of the highlights of the first day of the CRMR Annual Symposium was the panel discussion entitled  « How Should We Redefine Scientific Performance? Perspectives on Interdisciplinarity, Science Communication, Bibliometrics, and Research Impact ».  The discussion generated rich and thought-provoking exchanges on the many ways research can be evaluated, recognized, and valued in all its diversity.

Moderated by Pierre Blanchet, Professor at Université Laval and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Buildings, the panel brought together Alexis Achim, Professor at Université Laval and Canada Research Chair in Silviculture Adapted to Climate Change; Marie-José Naud, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisor; Pascale Ropars, Knowledge Mobilization and Research Impact Specialist; and Philippe Boisvert, Librarian and Bibliometrics Specialist. Drawing on their complementary expertise and professional backgrounds, the panelists offered insightful perspectives on the many dimensions of scientific performance.

The discussion addressed a range of topics, including the societal impact of research, knowledge mobilization and transfer, interdisciplinarity, equity in evaluation processes, and the strengths and limitations of bibliometric indicators. One key message emerged from the conversation: scientific performance cannot be reduced to quantitative measures or publication counts alone. It must also recognize the diverse contributions that advance knowledge, support the training of future researchers, promote the visibility of science, and generate meaningful impacts on society.

The panel fostered a collective reflection on the need to evolve research assessment practices toward approaches that are more inclusive, nuanced, and representative of the full spectrum of scientific contributions. It also highlighted the importance of placing greater value on the social, environmental, and economic impacts of research, as well as on science communication and knowledge mobilization activities.

Special thanks to Professor Véronic Landry for developing the questions that guided the discussion, and to Pascale Ropars, Alexis Achim, Pierre Blanchet, and members of the student community for enriching the conversation through their comments, ideas, and suggestions. Thanks to this collaborative approach, the discussion explored research evaluation from multiple perspectives and fostered dynamic, nuanced, and highly engaging exchanges between the panelists and the audience.

Participants were introduced to a forward-looking approach that challenges traditional publishing models and paves the way for a more collaborative, transparent, and accessible scientific enterprise. The presentation echoed the previous day’s discussions on the importance of diversifying the ways in which scientific contributions are recognized, valued, and shared.

The next generation of researchers played a prominent role throughout the symposium through lightning presentations and the student poster competition. In total, 21 students presented their research and engaged with members of the scientific community, showcasing the dynamism, creativity, and excellence of the CRMR’s emerging researchers.

These presentations highlighted the diversity of research projects conducted within the Centre while providing participants with a valuable opportunity to share their findings, expand their professional networks, and contribute to the scientific discussions that enriched the two-day event.

The awards ceremony, held following jury evaluations and audience voting, was one of the highlights of this year’s symposium. Congratulations to the award recipients:

• Alexandre Carrier – Best Scientific Poster Award
• Isabel Cristina Gómez García – Second Place Scientific Poster Award
• Bochra El Ferjani – Third Place Scientific Poster Award and People’s Choice Poster Award
• Manon Mestre – People’s Choice Poster Award and People’s Choice Lightning Presentation Award
• Maéva Provencher – People’s Choice Lightning Presentation Award

We would also like to recognize the outstanding commitment of the students who participated in the poster session and lightning presentations. Through the quality of their work, the relevance of their research, and their ability to communicate their results with clarity and enthusiasm, they made an important contribution to the success of this activity. The many exchanges throughout the session reflected the audience’s strong interest and the richness of the research being conducted within the CRMR. These moments of sharing facilitated knowledge dissemination, created valuable networking opportunities, and stimulated constructive discussions among members of the scientific community.

Our sincere thanks also go to the judges for their availability, rigor, and invaluable contribution to recognizing scientific excellence. Their expertise and dedication ensured an evaluation process that was fair, constructive, and rewarding for participants while highlighting the exceptional quality of the work presented.

Finally, special thanks to Maxime Parot and Bruna Roque Ugulino De Oliveira for their essential contributions to the organization, coordination, and facilitation of this session. Their dedication helped create a dynamic, stimulating, and supportive environment that fostered knowledge sharing, interdisciplinary exchanges, and the recognition of emerging talent within the CRMR.

Through the quality of its presentations, the richness of the discussions, and the diversity of expertise brought together, the 2026 CRMR Annual Symposium once again demonstrated the importance of dialogue among academia, industry, and public organizations in addressing the major challenges related to renewable materials and sustainable development.

The symposium concluded with closing remarks from Nancy Gélinas, followed by the presentation of student awards. In her address, she highlighted the exceptional commitment of the speakers, panelists, moderators, students, and all participants, whose contributions sparked meaningful reflection and fostered constructive discussions throughout the two-day event.

She also paid tribute to the outstanding work of the organizing committee, whose dedication, professionalism, and collaborative spirit were instrumental to the success of this year’s symposium. Comprised of Véronic Landry, Besma Bouslimi, Évelyne Thiffault, Maxime Parot, Bruna Ugulino, Manon Mestre, Farzaneh Masoodian, Lucie Dehon, Louis-David Giasson, Isabel Cristina Gomez Garcia, David Lerisson, and Mario Israel Sanchez Mercado, the committee played a key role in the planning, coordination, and successful execution of the event.

The 2026 edition was marked by inspiring encounters, meaningful discussions, and exemplary engagement from the scientific community and its collaborators. It reaffirmed the central role of research, innovation, and collaboration in developing sustainable solutions for the future of our society and the responsible stewardship of renewable resources.

Beyond the knowledge shared, the symposium strengthened connections among researchers, industry representatives, and public-sector stakeholders while fostering new perspectives and promising opportunities for future collaboration.