Ian de la Roche
Vice Chair
Past President
FP Innovations
Adjunct Professor - Forest Resources Management
University of British Columbia 
 
FP Innovations is a not-for-profit world leader which specializes in the creation of scientific solutions in support of the Canadian forest sector’s global competitiveness, and responds to the priority needs of its industrial and government members. It is ideally positioned to perform research, to innovate, and to deliver state-of-the-art solutions for every area of the sector’s value chain, from forestry operations to consumer and industrial products. Created from the merger of the three main Canadian forest sector research institutes: FERIC, Forintek Canada Corp., and Paprican, FP Innovations also provides technical direction to the Natural Resources Canada’s Canadian Wood Fibre Centre. FPInnovations’ staff numbers more than 600. Its research laboratories are located in Québec City, Montréal, and Vancouver, with technology transfer offices across Canada.

In his previous positions, Ian de la Roche played a key role in the establishment of programs to facilitate commercialization of new technology and the development of joint R&D ventures with industry, government, and universities. During 1990-91, he held the position of Assistant Deputy Minister of Consultation and Communications, Agriculture Canada. He headed up the Communications Branch and was a senior advisor to the Minister of Agriculture Canada. Prior to that, he held the position of Assistant Deputy Minister of the Department of Western Economic Diversification Canada, Saskatchewan.

Dr. de la Roche has published over 75 articles, 50 of which have been in the area of plant genetics, physiology, and biotechnology. He received a Bachelor of Science from McGill, a Master of Science from the University of Massachusetts and obtained his Doctorate from the University of Illinois.