Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll give the witnesses a moment to put in their earpieces.
I'd like to begin by thanking the witnesses for being with us today and sharing their expertise on the topic before the committee.
My first question is for you, Mr. Irving.
If I understood your presentation correctly, you said you spend about $2 million a year on a variety of research and development projects.
I have the good fortune of representing the riding of Trois-Rivières. It was once the paper capital of the world. I would say we've experienced the best and the worst of times. I'm referring to the industry's near-total disappearance, because a number of companies did not evolve to ensure their renewal. The cream of the crop stayed because they invested in R and D.
Right now, in our region, we're seeing basic research, applied research and industrial applications mesh, primarily with the help of the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.
The university is researching new types of paper called active paper, which, for example, would make it possible to detect pathogenic elements in packaging. You said earlier that you had gone from newsprint to more value-added paper for magazines.
In your research projects, do you collaborate with universities to develop new and innovative products?