Outreach and Business Support

Outreach and BuSIness Support

Our outreach activities engage and educates farmers, landowners, stakeholders, policy makers, and other professionals. Entrepreneurial and bio-business development opportunities are supported through demonstrations of the engineering processes and commercial applications. Through learning sessions and workshops we engage a diverse set of stakeholders to encourage workforce development, entrepreneurship, identify barriers and address critical needs of building biomass production capacity.

1. Operational characteristics and business perspectives of wood pellet producers and feedstock suppliers in the southeastern U.S.

Very little information exists regarding the raw material purchasing practices of wood pellet mills, the characteristics of their suppliers, or the sustainability of harvest timber to supply wood pellet mills. Understanding the perspectives of both pellet feedstock logging businesses in the southeastern United States and the mills to which they supply material may help to provide greater insight into the obstacles to profitable feedstock harvesting operations and how they may be resolved. This study was undertaken to collect data from wood pellet feedstock suppliers (i.e., logging businesses delivering timber to wood pellet mills) and from wood pellet mill procurement representatives to better understand the status, structure, and challenges facing these entities.

Operational characteristics and business perspectives of wood pellet producers        

2. Bioeconomy bright spots, challenges, and key factors going forward: Perceptions of bioeconomy stakeholders.

Successful bioeconomy activities hinge on the collective efforts and coordinated development across all involved. The effective promotion of the U.S. bioeconomy, thus, requires understanding of different stakeholders’ perspectives. In this research, focus groups were used to gather opinions of bioeconomy stakeholders with respect to the U.S. bioeconomy development. Results show encouraging trends in increased interests and awareness, and carbon market development; while regulatory structure, production capacity, and industry standard present key areas of challenges.

Perceptions of bioeconomy stakeholders      

WVU and MASBio: Revolutionizing Stormwater Management with Char21 SW™

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More Resources

• MASBio Project Overview, by Dr. Jingxin Wang, WVU