{"481231":{"#nid":"481231","#data":{"type":"news","title":"RBI hosts TAPPI International Research Management Committee Innovation event","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry\u2014TAPPI\u2014held the annual meeting of its International Research Management Committee (IRMC) at Georgia Tech\u2019s Global Learning Center December 7-10.\u0026nbsp; The focus of the event was innovation, and how universities and companies can collaborate more effectively in creating new opportunities.\u0026nbsp; Dr. Norman Marsolan, RBI executive director, was program chair and RBI served as host organization.\u0026nbsp; In addition to the IRMC meeting, the forest products industry\u2019s Agenda 2020 Technology Alliance\u2014of which RBI is an affiliate member\u2014held an All-Members\u2019 Meeting (\u003Cem\u003Esee related article)\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe IRMC Meeting led with a series of speakers presenting case histories of innovation as well as the techniques and distinguishing factors of successful innovators. A panel of forest products manufacturing company representatives described their approaches and critical success factors in encouraging innovation.\u0026nbsp; In the afternoon, companies and universities shared perspectives what each could do differently to enhance collaboration.\u0026nbsp; The discussion groups that followed identified the building of trust relationships; clear shared purpose and expectations; developing strong business cases, and speaking the language of business; and adherence to timelines, budgets, and deliverables agreements among many important factors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA session on the Internet of Things featured presentations by Professor Eric Vogel, MSE, and Director Andrew Dugenske of the Georgia Tech Factory Information Systems Laboratory.\u0026nbsp; Vogel defined Internet Generation 4 as leveraging the ability to harness on-demand data and expertise.\u0026nbsp; Dugenske described capabilities to create new levels of monitoring and wirelessly communicating with multiple manufacturing sites and with individual areas within them.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Satish Kumar reported on promising developments in his research to make advanced fibers from lignin for applications as textiles and automotive applications, among others.\u0026nbsp; Don McConnell, VP-Industry Collabration, described a series of vehicles to facilitate industrial research partnerships with Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAbout two dozen companies, five universities, and seven associations, representing seven countries, attended the event\u2014as did a representative of the US Government, from the US Forest Service-Forest Products Lab.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Event focused on innovation, collaboration"}],"uid":"28159","created_gmt":"2015-12-31 12:09:01","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:20","author":"Kelly Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2015-12-14T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2015-12-14T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"}],"keywords":[{"id":"93811","name":"RBI"},{"id":"125221","name":"TAPPI"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKelly B. Smith\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["kelly.smith@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}