Canada Invests $50 Million in New Brunswick Digital Forestry Centre
The Canadian government will invest $50 million to create a high-tech forestry centre in New Brunswick using AI to predict wildfires and pest infestations.
The Government of Canada plans to invest up to $50 million to establish the Strategic Innovation Centre in Digital Forestry in New Brunswick. The proposed facility, with a total estimated project value of $86 million, is a collaboration between the Northern Hardwoods Research Institute and Research New Brunswick.
The centre will utilize AI technology to create a digital twin of New Brunswick's forests. This system aims to modernize the forest products sector by improving the identification and tracking of fibre resources and predicting pest infestations and wildfires. By matching fibre supply to specific manufacturing requirements, the government intends to reduce operational costs and improve efficiency for a sector that contributed $23.5 billion to Canada's GDP in 2024.
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson announced the investment as part of a broader effort to protect the industry from low pulp prices, rising costs, and U.S. tariffs. Hodgson stated that the government is developing a national forest sector strategy to support similar initiatives, noting that the New Brunswick centre could serve as a scalable model for other Canadian regions. Funding remains conditional on final project approval.
