Congratulations to Professor Pierre Blanchet who has received the NSERC Synergy Prize for Innovation for the Year 2022
It is with immense pleasure and great pride that we announce that the Synergy Award for Innovation in the « partnership with two or more companies» category is given to Professor Pierre Blanchet, holder of the Industrial Research Chair on Eco-responsible Wood Construction (CIRCERB) and member of the Renewable Materials Research Centre (CRMR). The award  was given to Pierre Blanchet today, October 25, 2022, during a ceremony held at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa.
The Synergy Awards for Innovation, granted annually by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), recognize and honor collaborations that are models of effective research partnerships between partner organizations (public or private) and universities (or colleges). The laureate, Pierre Blanchet, will receive an NSERC research grant of $200,000.
This distinction is designed to highlight the innovation and benefits of collaborative partnerships. Through collaboration, partner organizations and universities have demonstrated that successful alliances and innovation are the keys to achieving significant and concrete improvements in the quality of Canadian life.
In appreciation of his exceptional work in collaboration with public and private organizations, Pierre Blanchet has been honored with one of NSERC’s Synergy Awards for Innovation 2022, for the key role that he has played in the creation and development of several Research Partnerships for Responsible Wood Construction (CIRCERB). CIRCERB is a multidisciplinary group of 22 public and private organizations working across the value chain of the construction sector to develop eco-sustainable solutions using biomaterials to reduce the negative ecological impact of buildings.
This unique vision of successful and efficient research partnerships in the building sector has led to many accomplishments including the development of new sustainable building materials. Currently, the work of Pierre Blanchet’s team focuses on the development of biobased envelope materials, including a weather barrier, a biobased membrane for the building envelope, protective systems for interior wood, and the development of alternatives to spray insulation in wood construction.
Pierre Blanchet leads the industrialized construction initiative at Laval University, the University of Sherbrooke, and the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi (UQAC), as well as the technology watch for the Régie du bâtiment du Québec, the organization governing the application of the National Building Code of Canada in Quebec. He is also an administrator at the Interdisciplinary Research Center on the Operationalization of Sustainable Development, a member of the Intersectoral Study and Research Center on the Circular Economy, an administrator at the Bois-Chaudière-Appalaches (BOCA), and an associate editor at the Coatings and Forests journals for submissions related to biosourced building material.
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Responsible for the communication: Bouslimi Besma
Photo credit: Pierre Blanchet