Wood Innovations 2016 Expressions of Interest

Over 220 delegates from wood treatment and timber manufacturing companies participated in the Forest Industry Engineering Association’s (FIEA) Wood Innovations 2014 event. It ran in both New Zealand and Australia in mid-September 2014.

The technology series provided a timely insight into new and emerging formulations, innovative new treatment processes, changing standards, international developments and issues that would impact on local operations along with opportunities for growth.

Alternate wood products to timber treated with wood preservatives were also increasingly making themselves known in the marketplace. Wood Plastic Composites and modified wood products were a commercial reality, were already being produced in commercial quantities locally and could offer a genuine alternative to more traditional treated wood products.

In 2016, Wood Innovations 2016 is planned to run in Rotorua, New Zealand on 24-25 May and again in Melbourne, Australia on 31 May-1 June 2016. It’s going to provide a timely update on these rapidly growing markets. The scope for expansion by existing wood producers or new businesses is considerable. The global wood plastic composites market for example is expected to reach US$5.4 billion in 2019, expanding at a compounded annual growth rate of around 11% over the next four years with the greatest growth being projected in the Asia Pacific region.

In addition to preservative wood treatment and modification, based on feedback from the 2014 event, this year the technology series will also be looking at surface coatings and timber durability, engineered wood products and some of the new technologies that are being developed to mitigate environmental issues around these new wood treatments and processes.

Wood Innovations 2016 will be covering;

• Developments in wood preservative formulations and processes
• Advances in alternative products to preservative treated wood
• Modified wood products – trends and opportunities for local wood producers
• Composite and engineered wood products and options for future manufacturing
• The real impacts of growing “green consumerism” on treated wood products
• New legislation and changes to building and timber treatment standards
• Disposal of treated wood products – key issues for the industry
• Wood treatment QA and QC schemes
• Research and innovations around new surface coatings
• What’s new in engineered wood products

For those at this early stage interested in presenting or being involved, please contact brent.apthorp@fiea.org.nz before Friday 9 October.

Source: Fridayoffcuts