A bold vision of timber and wood products becoming the leading material in construction and interior solutions markets by 2010 has been shared at European Wood Day.
Bo Borgstöm, chairman of conference hosts CEI-Bois, told nearly 240 people in Brussels on November 19 that the wood products industry had to stop infighting and face up to threats posed by rival materials and deteriorating profits.
Mr Borgström said: “As long as the fragmented position continues we cannot combat the competing materials. We have to pull the act together, we have to do it.”
He said woodworking industries have not recognised the importance of its biggest end-use sector – the construction market.
“It’s about time to wake up. The enemy, the competition, is coming from other materials, not from ourselves,” he added.
Delegates were shown results from CEI-Bois’ “Roadmap 2010” study, including an analysis of factors affecting the European woodworking industries and potential market opportunities.
Proposed actions include a pan-European promotional effort to increase the awareness of wood among society; provision of easy-access information to architects and specifiers; development of systems solutions in construction, interior solutions, packaging and transport; co-ordination of research and development initiatives; and lobbying of the EU and other decision makers.
Lars-Göran Sandberg, chairman of forestry industry consultants Timwood AB, said a key aim was to expand annual industry growth from an “unsatisfactory” 1% up to 4%.
CEI-Bois is planning a round of consultation to present its roadmap findings to the European woodworking industries. Comments received will help formulate a final action plan.
