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The Norwegian Wood Industry Federation (Treindustrien), in collaboration with the European Timber Trade Federation (ETTF) and the European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS) is holding the International Softwood Conference 2025 in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. Source: Timberbiz The conference will explain the latest updates on the international market, including trends, facts, and analysis. The agenda covers various aspects related to the competitiveness of wood, the availability of raw materials, and market opportunities. The conference provides an opportunity to thoroughly examine trends in the timber market, focusing on facts and figures for softwood production and consumption in the most relevant countries worldwide – not just in Europe. It will be a diverse and rich program featuring hands-on speakers with outstanding knowledge of the industry and the market. In times of uncertainty and rapid, significant changes, the conference offers a unique opportunity to come together, expand your network, and get new insights. The event starts on the morning of 22 October when you can choose between five different study tours: A customer-driven production line at Bergene Holm Haslestad, with exact cutting of wood based on specific customer orders. A modern glulam production at Moelven Limtre, including a guided tour of the Mjøstårnet high-rise building. Prefabricated element production at Ringsaker Veggog Takelementer (RVT), with a tour of the Mjøstårnet high-rise building included. Industrial-made wood building modules at Moelven Byggmodul, with a tour of the Mjøstårnet high-rise building included. Wood paint factory at G3 Gausdal Treindustrier, with a tour of the Mjøstårnet high-rise building included. In the evening, there is a cocktail reception at the Høymagasinet venue, located on the medieval grounds of the Akershus fortress in Oslo. On 23 October, the International Softwood Conference will be held at the Clarion Hotel Oslo, in the heart of the city centre. Lunch will be at the nearby Opera House, an architectural marvel and signature landmark rising from the fjord. More details on booking will be available soon.

The World Expo serves as a global platform that unites people and innovations from around the world to tackle challenges facing humanity on an international scale. This year Stora Enso is proud to be a part of the event that welcomes tens of millions of visitors in Osaka, Japan as a partner of the Czech National Pavilion. Source: Timberbiz More than 800 m³ of Sylva CLT elements are being used for the ground-breaking PEFC-certified wood structure of the pavilion with a glazed façade aimed to inspire the world with its innovative use of materials. “Our partnership with the Czech National Pavilion gives us a unique opportunity to present one of the tallest cross laminated timber (CLT) buildings in Japan on the largest stage of global innovation, here at the World Expo at Osaka,” said Lars Völkel, Executive Vice President, Stora Enso Wood Products division. “Stora Enso already has a long history of supplying high quality posts and beams and sawn wood to Japan. Thanks to CLT´s leading sustainable performance, its well-being benefits for the tenants and last but not least, its improving financial competitiveness we see an increasing demand for wooden commercial and multi-storey residential buildings in the region. “I am sure the pavilion will serve as a stunning example of the unique structures that can be built using Sylva by Stora Enso kit of prefabricated wood-based products for low-carbon buildings,” Japan’s deep-rooted tradition of wooden architecture exemplified by the Horyu-ji Temple from 607 AD, the world’s oldest surviving wooden building continues to evolve today. “The Japanese government actively pro-motes timber use in construction, including non-residential buildings, to cut carbon emissions and support a circular economy. This aligns with Stora Enso’s mission to do good for people and the planet by replacing non-renewable materials with renewable products,” said Satoshi Yamada, Sales Director Japan, Wood Products, Stora Enso. The eye-catching Czech National Pavilion occupies a prominent ocean-front location, offering visitors a truly immersive experience. Its standout position next to the water makes it one of the most visually striking structures at the Expo. A 260-meter-long educational trail winds through the site, providing stunning views of Osaka Bay. At its heart is a multifunctional auditorium that will host a rich and engaging program throughout the exhibition, making it a hub for learning and cultural exchange. Inside, the pavilion features a dynamic 402 m² exhibition space, with widths ranging from 1.8 to 7 meters and soaring up to 12 meters in height. The design highlights both architectural innovation and sustainable construction, brought to life through Stora Enso’s Sylva CLT elements made in Czechia with wood from sustainable managed local forests. Construction began in mid-September 2024, and by mid-December, the main structure was completed. This was followed by the installation of the pavilion’s signature glazed spiral, adding a modern and elegant finishing touch. The World Expo in Osaka will be open from 13 April to 13 October 2025. The Czech National Pavilion is a must-visit for anyone passionate about architecture, engineered wood, and environmental stewardship.

In the mountains of Mexico, trees are harvested differently than in Alberta Canada’s comparatively flat forests. The forestry field tour to Mexico took undergraduate students from the depths of forests to university labs and even industry. Sources: Timberbiz, University of Alberta, Bev Betkowski, photo Brad Pinno. The logs are cut down and then hoisted up the steep slopes on a powered cable, something ALES fourth-year forestry student Krystina Smid had never seen before. Part of a visit to a family-run logging operation, the experience was one of her “favourite days” during a forestry field tour to Mexico, organized by the Department of Renewable Resources. “They have different machinery than we do, and it was such a good experience to see how other places use different techniques, but have the same outcome as we do,” says Smid, one of 11 undergraduate forestry students who took the trip. “It was an amazing opportunity to see something new.” Home to 138 million hectares of trees and a growing number of timber production industries, Mexico offered students a look at different types of forests and forest management, says associate forestry professor Brad Pinno, who co-led the trip with ALES instructor Brian Roth. “The country has a huge variety of forest ecosystems; we saw five different forest zones going up one mountain. That’s not a level of diversity we can show students in Alberta.” The trip also included visits to the headquarters of Mexico’s National Forestry Commission, a family-run sawmill operation, a research station, a national park and university forestry labs. “By seeing different ways of practising forestry, students are able to think through and improve on the ways we are doing things,” Mr Pinno said. “It makes you a better forester where you are.” The various excursions touched on the country’s silvicultural and harvesting methods, which caught Ms Smid’s interest. She noticed, for example, that the logging operation they visited was only harvesting trees already damaged by pests or disease. Known as salvage logging, the practice differs from the clearcutting approach used in Canadian forestry and allows the forest area to retain more of its ecological integrity. “Seeing a different management technique reminds you that there are other possibilities; we shouldn’t be complacent about doing things in just one way.” Ms Smid and her fellow students also visited a lab at the University of Guadalajara where bioplastics were being processed from the underused parts of trees – a “different side of forestry you don’t always think about,” she said. “It’s a reminder that forestry can be a lot broader than just one product.” Offered to students through Ren R 401, the trip helped support the course’s goals of exploring forestry production, conservation, sustainable management and community engagement, Mr Pinno said. “There’s a growing desire for more variety of forestry practices, so we can learn from what others are doing.” In particular, Mexico is a world leader in community-based forestry, he notes. “A lot of decisions happen right in individual communities; each managed a bit differently with differing objectives.” That model of decision-making could inform new ways of practising forestry in Canada, where involving Indigenous communities is becoming more important, he added. “Mexico provides a great example of how we can learn to manage forests from a community place.” As a future forester, Ms Smid plans to apply what she learned on the trip, by staying open to new ways of approaching her work as it evolves. “I was always thinking, would it be applicable? Could I ever implement that kind of management here? We are now managing for many different groups – forestry companies, the public, Indigenous values,” she said. “There’s so much balancing that needs to be done. It’s important to be open to new ideas.” As part of their course work, Ms Smid and her classmates will shared their experiences during a group presentation to the Alberta School of Forest Science & Management and are penning essays reflecting on what they learned from the trip. “It’s important for them to think about how it links to their other courses or future career goals,” Mr Pinno said. “We want our students to critically evaluate what we are doing as foresters and improve it. Experiences like this field tour make it possible.” The trip was supported through the Scotiabank Mexico Corporate Social Responsibility Fund in support of the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences.