Aiwanger visits TH Rosenheim: Focus on the future of wood!

Aiwanger visits TH Rosenheim: Focus on the future of wood!

On October 27, 2025, Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger was a guest at the Rosenheim University of Technology. The reason for his visit was an exciting meeting of the Supervisory Board and Advisory Board of the Bavarian State Forests, at which Aiwanger acted as chairman. A central topic of the meeting was the wood value chain, which was discussed by Professor Dr. Michael Risse was clearly presented. It became clear how important close collaboration between research and practice is in order to increase quality and efficiency in wood processing.

But the program offered much more than just dry presentations. Professor Dr. Maren Kohaus provided interesting insights into the current challenges in planning timber construction. Her statements about the latest research projects met with great interest among those present. Also Professor Dr. Matthias Zscheile brought a breath of fresh air into the discussion with his lecture on “Forest conversion and roundwood supply in Bavaria”. The issue of wood is of great importance not only regionally, but also globally.

Practical insights into research

A highlight of the visit were the laboratory tours, which gave guests a practical look at wood-based materials technology. Professor Dr. Andreas Michanickl, Professor Torsten Leps and Dr. Sebastian Hirschmüller provided exciting insights into their research areas, which ranged from materials testing to specific component tests. These aspects underlined the university's expertise in the field of wood, which clearly sees itself on the way to becoming a pioneer in wood construction.

Martin Neumeyer, CEO of the Bavarian State Forests, emphasized the relevance of the dialogue between the forestry industry, wood processing companies and research institutes. “Only through intensive exchange can we optimally exploit the potential of using wood,” says Neumeyer.

Various uses of wood

But what is actually behind the wood value chain? Quite simply: the material use of wood enables a wide range of products. Starting with glued solid wood products such as glued laminated timber and cross-laminated timber, through to wood-based panels, biofuels and bio-based adhesives. The latest joining, gluing and pulping techniques make it easier to process different types of wood and drive innovation in the industry. According to Forest and Wood NRW, the increasing synchronization of wood use with future raw material bases promotes the efficient use of raw wood potential.

The economic relevance of the forestry and wood sector is evident worldwide, as current data shows. In Austria, for example, this sector generates direct gross value added of 11.3 billion euros, which accounts for 3.2% of total economic output. It also secures around 300,000 jobs and therefore represents a supporting pillar for many regions. It is noteworthy that every 17th euro of Austria's gross value added comes from the forestry and wood industry (BMLUK).

The numbers speak for themselves: one million additional cubic meters of wood harvested could make a huge difference in the construction industry: 80 million euros in additional added value and over 1,400 new jobs. It also becomes clear how important sustainable forest management is in order to secure resources for future generations.

In summary, it can be said that Hubert Aiwanger and the experts present at the TH Rosenheim have taken an important step into the future of wood processing together. Dialogue and close cooperation between science and business are the key to successfully mastering the challenges of the coming years.