Dr. N.A. Poirier has distinguished herself as an exceptionally creative and eclectic innovator, an entrepreneur and a respected R&D manager. She developed and commercialized new paper drying technologies. She co-founded an environmental technologies company which commercialized a small-scale gasification unit, and developed an innovative electrochemical approach for treatment of wastewater, which is particularly useful for applications with situational constraints, such as military installations, ships, or isolated northern communities. As Scientific Director of a Business-led research network, she established and managed a broad portfolio of industrial and university research aimed at developing innovative applications for nanocellulose in a wide range of industries.