The Specialty Wood Products Partnership - a new era for the NZDFI 

In mid 2015, the NZDFI became a partner in the MBIE and industry funded Specialty Wood Products Partnership (SWPP).

This is a far-reaching research and development programme, aimed at developing the supply chain and international markets for a range of alternative timbers to radiata pine.

The SWPP is funded by:

• Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)
• the forest industry through the NZ Forest Growers Levy Trust
• a number of forest industry companies
• the NZ Farm Forestry Association (regional branches).

The SWPP is led by Future Forests Research (FFR), in collaboration with Scion, the University of Canterbury, and the Marlborough Research Centre Trust.

The NZDFI now has seven years and a share of the $7 million funding package to work on the following priorities:

• Selection and outcrossing to improve growth; form; wood quality; pest resistance
• Matching species and sites for optimal productivity
• Modelling , management and silviculture systems.