Technical knowledge adds value

I heartily agree with Geoff Arnold's celebration of timber in the London Olympic Park. It is a model for future wood procurement and shows exactly what our sustainable material, in all its forms, can achieve when design vision and technical expertise come together.

That technical knowledge is something we as an industry should demonstrate more openly. Each of us possesses expertise in our materials - be they softwoods, hardwoods or panel products - but it's only when we come together as a sector that the added value created by using wood makes an impact.

There's another arena in which technical knowledge could create real value for the industry, and that's in the development of Building Information Modelling (BIM) systems.

Our sector needs to come together to present its technical data in the most acceptable mode for interfacing with BIM systems. They represent a major opportunity for promoting our materials and our products.

Fed with the right information, BIM systems will show that certified timber should be at the heart of every sustainable construction project, from the fabric to the floors, fixtures and windows. They will finally give the industry a platform from which to confirm timber's pre-eminence in sustainability terms.

Before we can take that step and harvest the business opportunities, we need to fully understand the deeper environmental value embodied in our raw materials.

The industry needs to co-operate in producing life cycle analysis information stretching from 'cradle to cradle' - tree nursery to wood recycling depot or panel products factory. Only this will convince architects and specifiers to make a judgement in our favour.

It won't be easy, and barriers may have to tumble, but we can't let this opportunity go.

Beyond Olympic construction and procurement success, a further opportunity presents itself this year to promote a positive image for wood. The Forest Education Initiative (FEI) for many years has paved the way in encouraging children to understand the link between trees and wood. The 2012 Jubilee Woods campaign, which is getting the public planting six million trees nationwide in recognition of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, is adding to FEI's momentum. It's giving a positive boost to the public perception of the value of trees and woodlands, and bringing hearts and minds back to our collective door.

The forthcoming Wood Awards, the shortlist of which will be presented at the upcoming Timber Expo , are another means of connecting wood with its users and consumers, and in a very visual and tactile way. They are also a consummate expression of technical timber knowledge.

Knowledge, of course, has to be gained, and it's the enthusiasm of candidates of all ages for gaining timber knowledge and using it to their own and their company's advantage which has inspired SCA Timber Supply to continue sponsoring the TTJ Career Development Award for the past nine years.

The TTJ Awards offer an opportunity to celebrate our collective expertise. Let's now put our knowledge together and use the positive vibe being generated around timber to create an unassailable market position for our most sustainable of building materials.