What are innovative wood products?

Innovative wood products are new or improved materials derived from wood that significantly enhance sustainability, materiality, functionality, and market value through advanced processing, bioengineering, and novel applications. Such materials and products, like engineered wood, nanocellulose, lignin-based bioplastics, and bio-based textiles, have been developed for many industries, including electronics, construction, automotive, fashion, packaging and energy. These products are transforming the current market by enabling their shift from traditional to sustainable, circular and high-performance bio-based materials. There is a rapidly growing interest in developing innovative wood products because they are crucial for advancing circular economy initiatives and effectively reducing adverse environmental impacts resulting from conventional carbon-intensive materials. For example, cross-laminated timber (CLT) — a prefabricated wood panel — has exceptional capabilities, including sustainability, strength, carbon storage, thermal and even seismic performance.  

While organisations are co-opting innovative wood products to reduce their environmental footprint, they are facing some challenges, such as access to finance, and reliable feedstock,  developing logistics and infrastructural support, high production costs, appropriate certification, and scalability issues. Moreover, while consumers are becoming aware of such products, their market uptake is hindered by greenwashing concerns, low accessibility, and high prices these products often command.  Despite these challenges, the global emphasis on environmental and biodiversity conservation, particularly responsible forest management, has created a solid foundation for innovative wood products to gain a strong market foothold.  

Further reading

Verkerk et al. 2022.  Forest products in the global bioeconomy: Enabling substitution by wood-based products and contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.  https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7274en