MIFBI connects, convenes, and collaborates to foster innovation and market development to enable the forest bioeconomy. We are a coalition of stakeholders across industry, academia, government, and nonprofit organizations dedicated to the responsible and sustainable utilization of forest biomaterials for an improved economy and environment in Michigan.

We define forest biomaterials as any organic materials that are grown in and extracted from forest ecosystems. Although wood is the primary focus of our work, there exists a wide range of possibilities including non-timber forest products.

The full value of our forest resources is still unknown, and complex social, technological, economic, and ecological challenges still need to be resolved to optimize value of these vital materials. These opportunities can only be realized by working together. Valorization of forest materials requires a broader understanding of the value chain and creation of new markets. MIFBI collaborates globally to identify solutions to apply locally.

Mission

To catalyze innovation and use of materials from forests for a healthy economy and environment

Vision

A carbon-neutral Michigan advanced by a sustainable forest economy

History

Paramount to the existence and success of MIFBI are the contributions of many organizations and many hundreds of people who have a stake in our forests and the future of Michigan who came together and contributed to the development and vision of MIFBI. What began as an "Initiative" has become the Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute, an independent nonprofit organization bringing together stakeholders from all sectors to catalyze innovation and use of forest materials for a healthy economy and environment.

Key Milestones...

2013

• Hosted the first Michigan Biomaterials Initiative Conference (Traverse City, MI)

2014

• Held the first steering committee meeting of the Michigan Biomaterials Initiative (Houghton, MI)
• Added the word "Forest" to the name becoming the Michigan Forest Biomaterials Initiative (MIFBI)

2016

• Changed the name to the Michigan Forest Biomaterials Institute (MIFBI), replacing the Initiative yet retaining the acronym
• Became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
• Established a Board of Directors and appointed an Executive Director
• Organized first working group on mass timber buildings and manufacturing in Michigan (hosted by the USDA Forest Products Lab in Madison, WI)

2017

• Hosted the first Michigan Forest Bioeconomy Conference (Grand Rapids, MI)
• Hosted the Kraft Lignin Forum (Iron Mountain, MI)

2018

• Co-hosted a Mass Timber Building Workshop (Houghton, MI)
• Hosted a workshop "Fostering Wood Recycling in Michigan (Grand Rapids, MI)
• Co-hosted the Michigan-Finland Summit on Forest Biomaterials (Houghton, MI) with the FinnZone

2019

• Hosted the 2nd Michigan Forest Bioeconomy Conference (Midland, MI)

2020

• Co-hosted the Michigan Mass Timber Summit (virtual due to COVID-19) with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
• Created the Mass Timber Summit Webinar series to continue learning & collaboration
• Initiated collaboration with the newly established MassTimber@MSU program

2023

• Began collaboration on the New Wood-Based Products Task Team as part of the Memorandum of Understanding between Michigan, Maine, and Finland to advance the forest bioeconomy
• Moderated the multinational webinar "Lignin Production & Application: Expanding Transnational Collaboration" with over 200 attendees
• Hosted the hybrid workshop "Wood residual use in long-lived products to enhance C storage" (Helsinki, Finland) which set the early seeds for a wood residuals event in MI

2025

• Co-hosted the Wood Residuals Summit (Traverse City, MI) in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, attracting ~100 attendees from across Michigan, the US, and several countries
• Launched the MIFBI Wood Residuals Innovation Series as a webinar series to foster continued learning and engagement on wood residual applications 
• Created a membership directory to facilitate member-to-member interaction, especially related to wood residuals

2026

• Became a partner in NextCycle Michigan
• Initiated tours and networking sessions to advance networking - the first session was at Hardwood Solutions (Chelsea, MI)