Scott Renneckar

Scott Renneckar is a Professor and Canada Research Chair in Advanced Renewable Materials at the University of British Columbia, specifically within the Faculty of Forestry and Department of Wood Science. He serves as Program Director for Forest Bioeconomy Sciences and Technology and leads the Advanced Renewable Materials Lab.

• Research Focus: Molecular structure and reactions of wood for advanced renewable materials
• Expertise: Application of polymer science to biopolymers and biobased composites
• Key Contributions: Development of petroleum-free composites from Canadian forests

Research Areas include:

• Lignin - Fibre spinning, thermoplastics, foams, aerogels
• Heteropolysaccharides - Sustainable packaging, nanotechnology
• Nanocellulose - New material technologies
• Biomass Deconstruction - Catalytic fractionation, organosolv pulping

Scientific Awards:

• Canada Research Chair in Advanced Renewable Materials

The lab produces numerous publications focusing on lignin valorization (33% of recent articles), cellulose nanotechnology (27%), biomass processing (13%), and bioeconomy innovations (27%). Key subfields include lignin-based composites, polymer modification, sustainable manufacturing, and biobased material characterization.

His work aligns with UBC's BioProducts Institute and Pulp and Paper Centre, emphasizing both fundamental polymer science and practical applications for the forest bioeconomy.