MIFBI provides education and innovative services that foster the forest bioeconomy. We are a growing coalition of stakeholders across industry, academia, and government dedicated to the responsible and sustainable utilization of forest biomaterials for an improved quality of life in Michigan.

We define forest biomaterials as any organic materials that are grown in and extracted from forest ecosystems. While “traditional” wood products hold tremendous value as a forest biomaterial, 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, and ecological challenges wait to be resolved. However, communities and businesses can (and many have) already engage in the bio-based economic sector, as there is an array of commercial product and process technologies currently available. A sustainable future will not emerge spontaneously and it will not be based on non-renewable resources. We will need to strive toward our sustainable future and wise use of our forests is a fundamental part of the answer.