Swedish sawmilling is experiencing a time of prosperity. Agreeable market conditions, including increased exports, are allowing the industry to move forward.
The Swedish Forest Industries Federation (Skogsindustrierna) is supporting this positive trend by increasing research and development and promotion.
“We have to go back to the 1970s to find a period as good as today,” said Bertil Stener, head of wood promotion.
Despite the success, the industry is well aware that the good times could end. Developing product innovations and convincing the building industry of the great potential wood offers are two ways of preparing for future downturns.
To meet tomorrow’s challenges, Skogsindustrierna has incorporated the Swedish part of the international promotion programme formerly handled by the Nordic Timber Council. Skogsindustrierna is also intensifying R&D, a move strongly supported by the Swedish government.
Research funding
In August, it was announced that the National Forest Research Programme in Sweden had been awarded SKr500m for R&D – 50% funded by the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications and the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems, known as Vinnova, and the other half by industry.
“The Swedish forest and wood industry is to be world leading,” said former industry and trade minister, Tomas Östros, in a statement supporting the research programme. He also stressed the importance of the industry’s involvement in order to develop the right products.
“We anticipate that the wood sector will get a substantial part of the financing,” said research director Jan Lagerström. “That would give us great possibilities to come closer to attaining our goals, for example having residential homes and official buildings produced in highly developed processes at remarkable lower building costs, higher energy efficiency and better quality than ever before.”
The research will focus on specific areas identified and developed by the Swedish research and business community in collaboration with public organisations. The research areas are also linked to the Strategic Research Agenda of the Forest-based Sector Technology Platform. Priority research areas within the wood sector are building and living with wood, durability and life cycle costs of wood products, and higher efficiency in timber processing.
Promotion
In both national and international promotion, the Swedes have worked hard to influence attitudes among both professionals and the public.
“We have a well-developed and comprehensive wood programme in Sweden,” said Mr Stener. “Our work includes influencing decision-makers on local and national levels and increasing knowledge regarding building with wood among architects and builders.”
At the end of October, Skogsindustrierna launched a revised and improved wood guide (www.traguiden.se) for professionals. Visitors can search for specific projects or details, and all projects can be viewed in 3D, which makes it easier for planners to carry out projects.
