The Advanced Papermaking Initiative (API) is a research, education, and industry collaboration program housed within the UBC Pulp & Paper Centre. Established in 1998, the API was created to strengthen papermaking engineering expertise in British Columbia and support the long-term competitiveness of Canada's forest products sector through research, education, and innovation.
The program is currently led by Dr. Orlando Rojas and guided by an industry Steering Committee that helps align the program's activities with the evolving needs of industry and society.
History
The Advanced Papermaking Initiative (API) was established in 1998 to strengthen post-secondary education and research in papermaking engineering and support the long-term competitiveness of British Columbia's pulp and paper industry.
The initiative supported the creation of two faculty positions at the University of British Columbia (UBC)—Professor James Olson in Mechanical Engineering and Professor Mark Martinez in Chemical and Biological Engineering—and one faculty position at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), held by Dr. Rodger Beatson. Professor Peter Englezos from UBC's Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering also became a member of the API, contributing to the program's research and educational mission.
Together, these faculty members established the foundation for a collaborative program that integrated teaching, research, and industry engagement. Their leadership helped build internationally recognized expertise in papermaking science and engineering while strengthening partnerships between academia and the forest products sector.
Over the past two decades, the API has evolved alongside the industry. While originally focused on papermaking engineering, the program has expanded its scope to encompass sustainable manufacturing, fibre-based materials, process innovation, and advanced technologies that support the transition toward a circular bioeconomy.
Legacy and Achievements
Throughout its history, the API has made significant contributions to education, research, and industry innovation.
Education and Talent Development
During its first decade, the API:
- Graduated 5 PhD and 13 Master's students.
- Contributed to the training of 35 graduate students through advanced papermaking courses.
- Educated more than 100 undergraduate students through specialized papermaking courses at UBC.
- Trained approximately 17 co-op students through research programs.
- Delivered annual papermaking courses to engineering students at the University of Victoria.
- Educated 110 students through BCIT's Chemical Sciences (Pulp and Paper) program.
- Delivered annual introductory courses for newly hired engineers and co-op students in BC's pulp and paper industry.
- Offered introductory courses to approximately 150 students at the University of Northern British Columbia.
- Delivered customized training directly to personnel within BC's pulp and paper companies.
Many graduates have gone on to successful careers in the forest products sector, helping address the industry's ongoing need for highly qualified engineers and researchers.
Research Excellence
API researchers established internationally recognized research programs in papermaking engineering, producing both scientific advances and practical industrial solutions.
Early accomplishments include:
- Securing more than $5 million in externally funded research.
- Publishing more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers in leading national and international journals.
- Receiving prestigious awards, including the 2008 BC Innovation Council Lieutenant Governor's Award for Innovation and the 2007 NSERC Synergy Award for Partnership and Innovation.
- Supporting industry through engineering solutions that improved manufacturing efficiency and product quality while contributing to substantial operational savings.
- Contributing to coordinated efforts aimed at reducing direct energy consumption within British Columbia's pulp and paper industry.
Supporting British Columbia's Forest Sector
Since its inception, the API has contributed to the continued competitiveness of one of British Columbia's most important manufacturing sectors. During the program's formative years, the provincial pulp and paper industry generated:
- More than $4 billion in annual economic activity.
- Over 10,000 direct and 20,000 indirect jobs.
- Approximately $1 billion in annual payroll.
- Nearly $600 million in annual tax and assessment contributions.
- Operations across 22 facilities in 18 communities throughout British Columbia.
- Average annual capital investments of approximately $211 million.
- Production of significant renewable bioenergy alongside the purchase of approximately 8.3 million megawatt-hours of electricity.
- More than $1.5 billion in annual economic value to British Columbia's solid wood sector as the industry's largest purchaser of residual wood chips and other sawmill by-products.
The API was established to help support this strategically important sector through research, workforce development, and close collaboration with industry, and it continues to build on that legacy today.
Annual Reports
API publishes annual reports highlighting the program's research achievements, education and training activities, industry partnerships, and major milestones. These reports provide a year-by-year overview of the program's impact and contributions to advancing papermaking science and engineering.
- Annual Research Report – 2020 Meet the API scholars
- Annual Report — 2019
- Annual Report – 2018
- Annual Report – 2017
- Annual Report – 2016
- Annual Report – 2015
- Annual Report – 2014
- Annual Report – 2013
- Annual Report – 2012
Browse the reports to learn more about the program's research progress, student training, industry collaborations, publications, and other accomplishments over the years.
Looking Ahead
Today, the API continues to advance research excellence, educate future leaders, and strengthen partnerships between academia and industry. Building on more than 25 years of achievement, the program remains committed to developing innovative solutions that enhance the sustainability, competitiveness, and global leadership of fibre-based manufacturing.
