Logging into the future

Australia's forest and wood products industry recognises that it needs to shift its focus away from traditional markets towards new emerging opportunities, including a growing bio-economy.

The use of timber is again in fashion as a sustainable construction material. For example, Australia has recently followed international trends with a change in its National Construction Code, which will now allow timber to be used in the construction of buildings up to eight storeys high - the previous limit was up to three storeys.

New materials are also finding a way into the supply chain, such as cross laminated timber and Glulam, which is manufactured by bonding together smaller pieces of timber using durable durable, moisture-resistant structural adhesives.

But while this presents new opportunities, businesses in the sector face the challenge of integrating and managing a supply chain that is becoming more complex.

There is also a need for greater sophistication in how the industry specifies wood for architectural and engineering purposes.

Officially opened in January, the new ARC centre will support this transition, with its main focus being directed on training a highly qualified workforce, including industry-ready higher degree by research graduates and postdoctoral fellows.

It will also establish innovative processes the industry can use to assess the characteristics of forest resources and to then pass these along the supply chain to their final application, for example in a commercial building.