About the Summit

The Forest Products Innovation and Technology Summit will focus on what technologies in the primary wood products sector can benefit your operation in regards to optimization, grading, management, and distribution. Innovation and technology for both hardwood and softwood production will be discussed.

The summit will provide you with the chance to hear about these technologies from experts and to interact and question them about how they might fit your operation. The summit will consist of presentations by the industry’s leaders in technology, discussion panels and networking opportunities.

Date: Thursday, May 19, 2022

Location: Hilton Garden Inn. 441 International Drive, Sandston, VA

Cost: $50

Questions? Call (540)-231-0978 or email quesada@vt.edu

Why Attend?

• Learn about the latest innovations and technologies in the forest products industries

• Network with speakers, industry, academicians, students, and government agencies

• Explore how technologies and innovations can help your bottom line

Detailed Session Agenda

8:15 am-8:30 am: Welcome and introductions - Brian Bond and Henry Quesada. Professors and Extension Specialists. Department of Sustainable Biomaterials. Virginia Tech.

8:30 am-9:15 am: Automated softwood lumber grading technology and application - Patrick Lepage. Optimization Specialist. The Bid Group.

9:15 am-10:00 am: Log scanning technology and automated hardwood lumber technology - Rado Gazo. Professor. Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Purdue University.

10:00 am- 10:30 am: Break

10:30 am-11:15 am: Latest technology in sawmill optimization and automation -         Duncan Ferguson. Sawmill MD.

11:15 am-12:00 pm: Using information technology to support Logistics and Transportation - Joseph Conrad. Assistant Professor. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. The University of Georgia.

12:00 pm-1:15 pm: Lunch and Networking

1:15 pm-2:00 pm: Round Table discussion

2:00 pm-2:45 pm: Information technologies in the mass timber industry - Maria Laguarda-Mallo. Project Director. Via Technik LLC.

2:45 pm-3:15 pm: Break

3:15 pm to 3:30 pm: Industry 4.0 and the secondary woodworking industry in North America - Urs Buehlmann. Professor and Extension Specialist. Department of Sustainable Biomaterials, Virginia Tech and Matt Bumgardner. Research Forest Products Technologist. US Forest Service.

3:30 pm-3:50 pm: LORCAT – a spreadsheet-based Log Recovery Analysis Tool for hardwood sawmills - Ed Thomas. Research Computing Scientist. US Forest Service.

3:50 pm-4:05 pm: Final discussion and questions

4:05 pm: Adjourn