ATLANTA, Georgia (March 22, 2001) - On March 11, the IPST Board of Trustees met to discuss new directions for the Institute resulting from the Pathways Project, a strategic study to align IPST with the needs of its member companies in the newly emerging industry environment. The Trustees strongly endorsed the new directions and supported their implementation at "as fast a rate as possible." Carl Landegger, CEO of Landegger Industries, said, "I feel that the Pathways initiatives offer great opportunities for member companies and I am eager to see them implemented."

In arriving at the Pathways Project recommendations, the Institute first consulted with Trustees and senior industry leaders and followed up with a broad planning effort involving a group of 35 member company executives along with IPST staff. Task teams formed from these two groups envisioned a new Institute focused on three separate IPST centers and the Center for Paper Business and Industry Studies (CPBIS), each of which would create products of significant value to IPST member companies. In the first quarter of 2001, an IPST team led by President James Ferris, refined this vision with more specific plans for implementation.

The three IPST centers through which the Institute will create value for members are the Graduate School of Paper Science and Engineering, the Research and Technology Transfer Center, The Haselton Library and Knowledge Center. The fourth Center, the Center for Paper Business and Industry Studies was recently created in partnership with Georgia Tech, will add a special dimension to this new path forward for IPST.

The Graduate School of Paper Science and Engineering will create a world-class learning environment that attracts the best students and faculty from around the world by establishing an academic program that is globally recognized as the leader in graduate education for the pulp and paper industry. To achieve this, several Endowed Teaching Professorships will be established at the core of the academic program. Further, dual degree programs and joint faculty appointments with Georgia Tech will be introduced to strengthen teaching effectiveness and the learning environment.

The Research and Technology Transfer Center will evolve from the current IPST research program and be designed to improve the creation and delivery of more valuable research results that address technology-based issues of major strategic and/or financial importance to the Industry. Major changes to this program include the opportunity for member companies to individually select which research programs they support, the creation of member-controlled consortia for each major research program, greater inclusion of Georgia Tech faculty in the research programs, eligibility of certain non-industry companies to participate in research programs, and new staffing to support technology transfer. Although operating in a global context, much of the focus of this Center will be on the technology strategies, global industry threats, and emerging opportunities defined by the AF&PA through the Agenda 2020 program.

Recognizing the increasing importance of information and knowledge in business and technical decision-making, the IPST Haselton Library and Knowledge Center will create an efficient information resource for customers of all IPST Centers. The Center will establish a web-based digital information resource and support the development of an on-line education center for the industry. The Center will partner with others to supply industry-specific content through efficient distribution channels to our members.

Finally, The Center for Paper Business and Industry Studies (CPBIS) was funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in October 2000 as part of their industry center program. The Center combines the resources of IPST and Georgia Tech's DuPree College of Management and the Ivan Allen College, as well as strong support from the industry. CPBIS will create fundamental business and paper industry knowledge of strategic importance to paper industry decision-makers through the Sloan methodology of direct observation. It will also produce interdisciplinary graduates from Georgia Tech with paper industry business/policy focus and technical graduates from IPST with increased business and industry exposure.

"I am very pleased with the new directions that this is taking the Institute," said Jim Ferris, President of IPST. "A large number of outstanding industry executives have participated in this process, and I appreciate the time, creativity, and wisdom they have contributed to the effort. The changes that we are designing will build a stronger, more adaptable, and more vital Institute for the industry of tomorrow."