Bioproducts Production and Development Survey 2009
Confidential when completed
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Information for respondents
Purpose of Survey
Statistics Canada is conducting this survey on behalf of Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. The objectives of the survey are to provide statistical information on the bioproducts sector and produce a profile of firms engaged in the production and/or development of bioproducts in Canada. The survey focuses on the key characteristics and activities of firms that develop or produce bioproducts as part of their firm’s activity in Canada.
Bioproducts is an emerging sector of the Canadian economy and their impact has the potential to be felt through all parts of Canada’s society. An accurate understanding of bioproducts requires comprehensive data. Information from this survey may be used by businesses for economic or market analysis, by trade associations to study industry performance, government departments, agencies and industry development practitioners to assist in and evaluate policy, programs and initiatives that promote growth, and by the academic community for research purposes.
Authority
Collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Completion of this questionnaire is a legal requirement under the Statistics Act.
Confidentiality
Statistics Canada is prohibited from publishing any statistics that would divulge information obtained from this survey that relates to any identifiable business, institution or individual. Data are treated in strict confidence, used for statistical purposes and released in aggregate form only. The confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act are not affected by either the Access to Information Actor any other Legislation.
Record Linkage
In order to enhance the information you provide in this survey, Statistics Canada plans to combine the responses relating to your organization with the information previously provided on the Bioproducts Survey from 2003 and 2006. The combined information will be kept strictly confidential and used only for statistical purposes.
E Assistance
If you have questions or require assistance, please contact
Telephone: 1-866-445-4323
Fax: 1-888-869-0972
Instructions
The questionnaire should be completed and returned within 30 days of receipt in the provided envelope.
Contact information
Who should complete this questionnaire?
A knowledgeable senior person in your firm such as the owner, president, vice president, corporate executive officer, a research and development (R&D) manager or production manager can complete this questionnaire.
First name:
Last name:
Position title:
Web site address:
Telephone number:
Extension:
Fax number:
E-mail address:
Reporting Period and Coverage
The reporting period for this survey is the fiscal year 2009/2010, unless a specific question indicates otherwise. This period would relate to your firm’s 2009 reference year. In the event your firm’s fiscal year has not ended before the completion of this survey, we ask that you provide your best estimate when responding.
For the purpose of this survey, please report information for your 12 month fiscal period for which the final day occurs on or between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010. Please indicate below the period covered by this report.
From: yyyy/mm/dd
to: yyyy/mm/dd
Coverage of the survey relates to your firm’s Canadian bioproducts activities. These activities should be separated from your firm’s non-bioproducts activity. These activities can be any combination of development and/ or production of intermediate or final bioproduct goods.
If your firm operates multiple establishments, please complete a separate questionnaire for each establishment engaged in bioproducts production or development in Canada.
Definitions
Bioproducts
Bioproducts are products (other than food, feed, and medicines) made from renewable biological inputs (often referred to as using a biomass feedstock).
For the purpose of this survey, we are interested in “non-conventional industrial bioproducts”. Examples include: biofuels (e.g., ethanol, biodiesel), organic chemicals (e.g., biopolymers), pesticides, non-conventional building/construction materials and composites. Traditional bioproducts, such as wood products could be considered in scope for this survey only if they were made by a non-conventional or novel process.
For a list of types of bioproducts included in this survey please refer to the table in question 4 on page 3.
Examples of excluded bioproducts are: e.g., food, nutraceuticals, feed, medicines, structural lumber, dimensional wood products, paper, and conventionally made fiberboards, wood pellets, parallum, oriented strand board (OSB), composite wood products, and compost.
Biomass
Biomass refers to renewable biological materials.
For the purpose of this survey biomass feedstocks includes:
- biological materials from forestry, agriculture, marine and aquaculture sources, or of a micro-biological origin;
- by-products from processing (e.g., agricultural/ forestry/ pulp & paper/ food/feed processing);
- recycled bio-materials (e.g., construction/ demolition materials);
- and waste materials (e.g., municipal solid wastes).
Section A – Bioproducts Involvement
1. What year did your firm begin operations in Canada?
2. What year did your firm begin its bioproducts related activities in Canada?
3. In 2009, what best describes your firm’s involvement with Bioproducts? (Check all that apply)
- Conducting bioproduct research and development without sales of Bioproducts. Go to Section B
- In production with sales of bioproducts. Go to Section B
- Involved in biomass improvement
- Provide services only (e.g. engineering, regulator, legal or management)
for the bioproducts industry - Provide technology to bioproducts producers
If you are not involved in the development or production of bioproducts, therefore you did not check either A or B in the above question, please return the 2009 bioproducts survey in the accompanying prepaid envelope.
Thank you for your collaboration
Section B – Production and Development of Bioproducts
4. In 2009, please identify the stage of development and the type(s) of bioproducts your firm is producing or developing. For each bioproduct on the market, please report the percentage of total bioproduct revenue (in 2009). Please exclude food, nutraceuticals, feed, lumber and medicines.
Liquid Fuels
Ethanol (for fuel)
Biodiesel (for fuel)
Other liquid fuels (e.g., methanol, butanol, etc.)
Gaseous Fuels (e.g., bio-gas, syngas, hydrogen, etc.)
Solid Fuels (e.g., agri-straw pellets, agriwood pellets, etc.)
Bioenergy (e.g., electricity, heat, co-generation, etc.)
Organic Chemicals
Lubricants and greases
Polymers
Adhesives
Fine chemicals
Solvents
Other organic chemicals, specify:
Bio-pesticides (e.g., insecticides, fungicides, herbicides)
Bio-catalysts and Bio-enzymes
Materials and Composites
Composites
Fibreboard/agri-fibre panels
Materials (e.g., foam, insulation, masonry, road materials, cement, geofibres, geotextiles, etc.)
Other Bioproducts, specify:
Internal Use of Bioproducts
5a. In 2009, did your firm produce any bioproducts within the firm that were then used internally? (e.g., for heat, electricity or other use)
- Yes
No. Go to Question 6a
5b. In 2009, what is the total estimated cost savings (in Canadian Dollars) from using internally produced bioproducts?
Production of co-products
In the production of a bioproduct, other co-products are often jointly produced for sale.
For example- Distiller dry grains and CO2 may be co-products of ethanol production.
- Glycerine may be a co-product of biodiesel fuel production.
- Include co-products produced from the same production stream as the bio-products.
- Exclude co-products that are considered bioproducts (see definition on page 2)
6a. In 2009 did your firm produce co-products for sale, from the same production stream as your bioproducts? (if producing the co-products includes additional processing by your firm, answer ‘yes’)
- Yes
No. Go to Question 7
6b. In 2009, what types of co-products for sale were produced by your firm? (Check all that apply)
Distillers grain (wet or dry)
CO2
Glycerine
Fertilizer
Compost
Protein meal
Lignin
Food ingredients (e.g., starch, gluten, etc.)
Other, please specify:
Section C – Use of Biomass
7. In 2009, what was your primary biomass source for your operations in Canada? (e.g., the biomass source that represents the greatest portion of your operating costs).(Please check one option only)
Agricultural Biomass
Forestry Biomass
Marine and aquaculture materials or products
Food processing or slaughtered or rendered by-products
Food service by-products
Municipal solid waste
Other, specify:
8. Please indicate the type of biomass your firm used to produce its bioproducts, in 2009 in Canada.
For each type of biomass, please report your best estimate of the total amount used in metric tones. Please exclude biomass used for food, nutraceuticals, feed, lumber and medicines.
Agricultural Biomass
Grains/Oilseeds (and products)
Wheat grain (include seed equivalent of starch or flour)
Corn grain (include seed equivalent of starch or oil)
Canola/Rapeseed (include seed equivalent of oil)
Soybean seed (include seed equivalent of oil)
Other oilseeds seed or crushed seeds : flax, mustard, sunflower, specify:
Other grains: barley, rye, oats, specify:
Other field crops (crops grown as field crops, not included in category above)
Hemp (seed and whole plant)
Pulse seed (lentils, field peas)
Forages (e.g., alfalfa)
Potatoes
Sugar beets
Other, specify:
Horticulture crops(e.g., vegetable, fruit, herbs)
Other, specify:
Primary Livestock products/by-products
Milk and milk solids
Manure
Other, specify:
Dedicated biomass crops (e.g., hybrid poplar/willow)
Crop residues (e.g., straw, stover, shives)
Grain
Flax
Corn
Other, specify:
Forestry biomass (forestry products/slash, mill waste/residue)
Forest residue (e.g., harvest residue, pine-beetle salvage)
Mill processing residues (e.g., black liquor, wood chips)
Urban wood residues (e.g., construction/demolition debris, industrial wood waste, trees)
Marine and aquaculture materials/products (e.g., algae)
Food processing, slaughter/rendered by-products
Food service by-products (e.g., recycled restaurant fats)
Municipal organic solid waste (e.g., yard waste)
Other biomass, specify:
9a. In 2009, did you have any contracts with suppliers to provide your biomass for your operations in Canada?
- Yes
No. Go to Question 10
9b. What type of supplier(s) did your firm have contracts with: (Check all that apply)
Farmer
Grain supplier
Food/feed processor, food service (e.g., restaurants)
Municipality
Forestry harvesters
Forestry mill
Pellet producer
Other, specify:
10. In 2009, what percentage of your firm’s primary biomass was transported the following distances from its original source to your processing facility? Include your operations in Canada only.
0 km (on site)
Less than 50 km
50 to less than 100 km
100 km to less than 500 km
500 km or more
TOTAL 100%
Don’t know source
11. In 2009, what percentage of your firm’s primary biomass is sourced from: Include your operations in Canada only.
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland and Labrador
North West Territories, Yukon, Nunavut
International Sources
Unites States
Mexico
Other foreign specify:
TOTAL 100%
Don’t know source
Section D – Benefits from producing or developing bioproducts
12. As a firm producing and/or developing bioproducts, please rate the importance of the following benefits to your firm.
| Factors which influence your decision to produce and/or develop bioproducts |
Degree of importance (Please check one only) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Medium | High | Not Applicable | |
| Using biomass to reduce production costs | ||||
| Expectation of opportunities to benefit from reducing environmental impact (e.g., greenhouse gas reduction) | ||||
| Your firm sees an opportunity to increase product range to increase sales and market share (e.g., products targeted at green markets) | ||||
|
Other, specify: |
||||
13a. Has your firm considered a new location for a bioproduct establishment in Canada in the last 3 years, or over the next 2 years?
- Yes
No. Go to Question 14
13b. How important are the following factors to your firm in locating a bioproducts
| Factors affecting your decision in locating a bioproducts facility |
Degree of importance (Please check one only) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Medium | High | Not Applicable | |
| Proximity to biomass | ||||
| Proximity to head office or other existing firm facilities | ||||
| Local infrastructure (e.g., transportation facilities, hospitals, colleges, etc.) | ||||
| Access to skilled labour | ||||
| Financial incentives (e.g., government programs) | ||||
| Community driven incentives to encourage firms to locate | ||||
| Other, specify: | ||||
Section E – Barriers to producing or developing bioproducts
14. Please rate the following barriers to production and/or development of bioproducts by your firm.
| Barriers to production and/or development of bioproducts by your firm |
Degree of barrier (Please check one only) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Medium | High | Not Applicable | |
| Unreliable quantity of biomass | ||||
| Unreliable quality of biomass | ||||
| Cost of biomass (e.g., price, transport cost etc.) | ||||
| Difficulty in entering commercial marketplace | ||||
| Cost of developing environmental indicators (e.g., lifecycle analysis) | ||||
| Lack of skilled human resources | ||||
| Lack of financial capital | ||||
| Cost and timeliness of regulatory approval | ||||
| Ongoing regulatory costs/requirements (e.g., on-site requirements for engineers, etc.) | ||||
| Lack of adequate product standard certification | ||||
| Other, specify: | ||||
Section F – Firm Characteristics
16. What is the ownership structure of your firm? (Please check one only)
Sole proprietor/ partnership
Cooperative
Private Corporation based in Canada
Private Corporation based outside Canada
Publicly Traded Corporation based in Canada
Publicly Traded Corporation based outside Canada
17. Is your firm a subsidiary of another larger Multi-National Enterprise (MNE)?
- Yes
No
18. How did your firm become involved in developing and/or producing bioproducts? (Please check one only)
Mainly as a result of domestic activities of your firm (e.g., utilization of by-products, as part of a R&D project etc.)
Mainly as a result of International activities of your firm
In co-operation/collaboration with other firms or organizations (e.g., utilization of by-products, etc.)
Merger with/acquisition of another firm/or firm’s bioproducts activities
Acquired/licensed technology from a domestic firm or lab
Acquired/licensed technology from a foreign firm or lab
Other means, specify:
18a. Is your firm a spin-off? (A spin-off is defined as a new firm created to transfer and commercialize inventions and technology developed in universities, firms or government laboratories.)
- Yes
No. Go to Question 19
18b. Your firm is a spin-off from? (Please check one only)
University/academic institution
Another firm
Government agency/lab
Other, specify:
Section G – Human Resources in Bioproducts Production or Development
Please enter the following information about employees in your firm in the year 2009.
- Employees are all workers for whom you completed a Canada Revenue Agency T-4 statementfor the 2009 tax year
- Include working owners.
- Include part-time employees who worked 26 weeks or more in 2009.
- Include all employees working in Canada at this firm only.
- Exclude Co-op students.
- Exclude employees who worked less than 26 weeks during the calendar year 2009.
19. What is the total number of employees who worked for this firm at least 26 weeks during 2009?
20. Please provide your best estimate of total salary costs for all employees in your firm in 2009. Report in Canadian dollars. If ‘0’ (zero) please indicate ‘0’. Do not leave blank. Report only for Canadian operations.
Employees who had bioproducts related responsibilities in 2009 are those employees who spent at least fifty percent of their time in 2009 OR who spent more than fifty percent of their usual work week in 2009 performing tasks related to bioproducts research or production.
21. Please provide the number of employees in 2009 who spent at least fifty percent of their time performing duties related to the production, development, or administration of bioproducts.
Scientific (e.g. scientists, Management/marketing/finance Production/operators research and development R&D managers, etc.)
Engineers
Lab technicians
Other, specify:
TOTAL
22. Please provide your best estimate of total salary costs for bioproduct related employees in 2009. Report in Canadian dollars. If ‘0’ (zero) please indicate ‘0’. Do not leave blank. Report only for Canadian operations.
23a. In 2009, did your firm have any job vacancies related to bioproducts (including R&D and production)?
- Yes
No. Go to Question 24a
23b. Please indicate the degree for which the following factors affected your efforts to fill bioproducts related job vacancies in 2009.
| Factors affecting your efforts to fill bioproduct related job vacancies |
Degree of effectiveness (Please check one only) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Medium | High | Not Applicable | |
| Compensation requirements by candidates too high | ||||
| Candidates unwilling to relocate | ||||
| Capital/resources insufficient to attract candidates | ||||
| Lack of highly qualified candidates | ||||
| Lack of bioproduct specific education available in colleges, universities, etc. | ||||
| Sector instability/insecurity | ||||
| Other, specify: | ||||
Section H – Firm Financial Profile
Financial Information
- Report dollar amounts in Canadian Dollars.
- Report for fiscal years ending in 2008 and 2009.
- Please DO NOT leave blank, enter 0 if applicable.
- Report for Canadian operations within this firm only.
- If figures are not available please provide best estimates.
| Fiscal year ending in 2008 |
Fiscal year ending in 2009 |
|
|---|---|---|
| 24a. What was this firm’s total gross revenue fromall sources. (Enter total revenue for all Canadian operations within this firm only, in Canadian dollars) | ||
| 24b. What percentage of total gross revenue reported in question 24a was obtained through the sale of bioproducts? | ||
| 24c. What percentage of bioproduct sales reported in question 24b was obtained through the export of bioproducts? | ||
| 24d. What was the total cost of all biomass input? (Enter total cost for all Canadian operations within this firm only, in Canadian dollars) | ||
|
24e. What was the total amount spent on Research and Development (R&D) within this firm? (Enter total cost for all Canadian operations within this firm only, in Canadian dollars). Exclude R&D work that was contracted out or outsourced. |
||
| 24f. What percentage of total R&D expenses reported in question 24e was spent on R&D for bioproducts? | ||
| 24g. What percentage of total R&D spending reported in question 24e was spent on R&D for biomass? | ||
| 24h. What was the total amount spent on Bioproduct R&D that was contracted out or outsourced by this firm? (Enter total cost for this firm only, in Canadian dollars) |
Section I – Business Practices
25a. In 2009, did your firm contract out any bioproducts related activities? Contracting out work can be referred to as outsourcing where by money is paid for a service on a contractual agreement.
- Yes
No. Go to Question 27a
25b. Please indicate which of the following bioproduct related activities your firm contracted out (outsourced) in 2009. Report only for operations in Canada. (Check all that apply)
Business Activity
Production of goods
Management and business administration
Engineering services
Regulatory services
Research and development
Other, specify:
26. Please rate the level of importance that each of the following reasons had on your decision to contract out in 2009.
| Reasons for contracting out | Degree of importance (Please check one only) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Medium | High | Not Applicable | |
| Access outside scientific expertise/knowledge | ||||
| Activity area is outside core competence of firm | ||||
| Faster completion of the work | ||||
| Lower risks to the firm | ||||
| Increase your physical capacity (Infrastructure, equipments, etc.) | ||||
| Access external R&D expertise | ||||
| Access regulatory affairs expertise | ||||
| Access production facilities | ||||
| Other, specify: | ||||
27a. In 2009, was your firm involved in bioproducts related cooperative/collaborative arrangements with other firms or organizations?(Please include both those inside and outside of Canada.)
- Yes
No. Go to Question 30
Cooperative and collaborative arrangements involve the active participation in projects between your company and other companies or organizations in order to develop and/or continue work on new or significantly improved bioproducts processes and/or products. Pure contracting-out work, where money is paid for a service, is not regarded as cooperative and/or collaborative arrangement.
27b. In 2009, what was the number of cooperative/collaborative arrangements you had with other companies or organizations?
27c. In 2009, how many of these cooperative/collaborative arrangements involved more than one other partner?
28. Please indicate which of the following partner types your firm (in Canada) collaborated with during the previous 3 years. (Check all that apply)
Other firms in Canada
Other firms outside Canada (exclude your own firm’s operations outside Canada)
University in Canada
University outside Canada
Federal Government Agency or Lab
Provincial Government Agency or Lab
Other, specify:
29. Please rate the level of importance that each of the following reasons had on your decision to cooperate/collaborate with partners.
| Reasons for cooperative/collaborative arrangements |
Degree of importance (Please check one only) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Medium | High | Not Applicable | |
| Access outside scientific expertise/knowledge | ||||
| Conduct research and development | ||||
| Access to biomass | ||||
| Access production/manufacturing facilities | ||||
| Access marketing/distribution channels | ||||
| Access partners intellectual property | ||||
| Access capital | ||||
| Access regulatory affairs expertise | ||||
| Other, specify: | ||||
Section J – Strategies for environmental performance
30. In 2009, did your customers ask about your environmental practices?
- Yes
No
31. Does your firm have an environmental plan (e.g., ISO 14001) in place for 2009?
- Yes. Go to Question 33a
No
32. Does your firm plan to implement an environmental plan (e.g, ISO 14001) within three years?
- Yes
No
Section K – Intellectual Property
33a. In 2009, did your firm have bioproducts related patents or pending patents?- Yes
No. Go to Question 35a
33b. Please indicate the number of bioproducts related patents and pending patents your firm had in 2009 by geographical area.
In Canada (Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO))
In the United States (U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO))
In Europe (e.g., European Patent Office)
Other, specify:
34. Please Indicate the number of unique bioproduct patent applications submitted by your firm and the number granted in 2008 and/or 2009.
35a. In 2009, did your firm have bioproducts trademarks?
- Yes
No. Go to Question 36
35b. Please Indicate the number of registered trademarks and the number of unregistered trademarks in 2008 and/or 2009.
36. In 2009, did your firm assign or license bioproducts related intellectual property (IP) rights to another firm?
- Yes
No
37. In 2009, did your firm acquire bioproducts related intellectual property (IP) rights from another firm?
- Yes
No
Section L – Raising Capital
38a. Did your firm attempt to raise capital (including capital from government sources) for purposes related to bioproducts in 2008 and/or 2009?- Yes
No. Go to Question 42a
38b. Why did your firm attempt to raise capital related to bioproducts in 2008 and/or 2009? (Check all that apply)
R&D purposes/expand R&D capacity
Proof of concept/pilot project
New plant/facility
Expanding current facility
Marketing/commercialization
Operating funds
Repay current investors
Retrofit of existing facility
Other, specify:
- Yes
No
41. What external sources provided funds for bioproduct activities in 2009?
| Source of funds | % of total raised from each source |
|---|---|
| Canadian based private venture capital | |
| American based private venture capital | |
| Other private venture capital | |
| Banks, Cooperatives, Credit union | |
| Angel investors/family | |
| Government sources | |
| Government loans (e.g. BDC, FCC, EDC, STDC) | |
| Matching funds | |
| Grants (e.g. IRAP) | |
| Other, specify: | |
| PO (Initial Pubic Offering)/SPO (Secondary Public Offering) | |
| Private placements | |
| Other, specify: | |
| TOTAL | 100 |
Section M – Government Support Programs
42a. In the past 5 years, did your firm apply for benefits for bioproduct related activities under the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax program?
- Yes
No. Go to Question 43
42b.How much did you apply for in 2009? Please report for fiscal year 2009 and in Canadian dollars. If ‘0’ (zero) please indicate ‘0’. Do not leave blank.
42c. What are your cumulative credits?
43. In the past 5 years, has your firm received Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) funding?
- Yes
No
Section N – Use of other Government Programs
44a. In the past 5 years, did your firm apply to any programs sponsored by Agriculture and Agri-food Canada that relate to bioproducts?
- Yes
No. Go to Question 45
44b. Please fill in the following table of programs by indicating those your firm has applied for, approved and took part in (e.g., received funding)
| Agriculture & Agri-food Canada (AAFC) or AAFC sponsored Program Check (v') all that apply |
Was your application approved? |
Did you take part in the program? |
|---|---|---|
| ecoABC (Agriculture Biofuels Capital Initiative) | Yes No |
Yes No |
| Agri-Opportunities Program | Yes No |
Yes No |
| Broker Program | Yes No |
Yes No |
| Agri-Innovation Program | Yes No |
Yes No |
| Agricultural Co-operative Development Initiative (Ag‑CDI) | Yes No |
Yes No |
| Canadian Agriculture and Food International Program | Yes No |
Yes No |
| Agri Bioproducts Innovation Program (ABIP) | Yes No |
Yes No |
| Canadian Agri science Clusters Initiative | Yes No |
Yes No |
| Developing Innovative Agri Products | Yes No |
Yes No |
| Advancing Canadian Agriculture (ACAAF) | Yes No |
Yes No |
45. Approximately, how many minutes did you spend collecting the data and completing this questionnaire?
Comments
Thank you for your assistance.
Please return the questionnaire in the accompanying prepaid return envelope.