Wood-Science-Economy Conference for the fifth time. Registration is now open

International experts, current and important issues. This is what we can expect from the Wood-Science-Economy International Scientific Conference, which will be held between 3 and 5 December in Poznań.

For years, this event has been bringing together scientists, practitioners, and business representatives interested in modern technologies, the circular economy, and innovative directions for the development of the forestry and wood industry. The topics of this year’s edition include:

• digital transformation in forestry and the wood sector (Industry 4.0 and 5.0, artificial intelligence, automation),
• sustainable forest management in the era of climate change,
• non-destructive wood quality assessment techniques,
• bioeconomy and lignocellulosic biomass conversion,
• advanced wood-based materials, biocomposites, and nanotechnologies,
• forestry and wood industry market policy and dynamics.

International group of researchers

This year’s edition will bring together participants from all over the world. It will begin with a lecture by special guest Prof. Dr. Thomas Purfürst, Head of the Department of Forest Management at the University of Freiburg (Germany), entitled “Digital Transformation in the Forestry and Wood Sector – Challenges and Possibilities”.

Speakers will also include Dr Arthur Thirion (Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria). He will present the latest research results on the development of multi-scale numerical models supported by artificial intelligence, used to predict the kinetics of resin infiltration during the production of transparent wood, which can be used in construction, electronics, automotive, and furniture industries.

Prof. Bartłomiej Mazela (Poznań University of Life Sciences) will talk about the XyloMatrix project, in which scientists are developing an innovative process for recycling MDF waste to produce sustainable packaging.

Prof. Addo Koranteng (Kumasi Technical University, Kumasi, Ghana) will present an overview of the current challenges and prospects for forestry and the timber industry in Ghana, including the role of non-timber forest products as an alternative to timber harvesting.

Digitalisation in the spotlight

“The Wood-Science-Economy Conference is a unique opportunity to meet with representatives of both forestry and wood sciences – fields that too often develop in parallel rather than complementing each other,” says Dr Dominika Janiszewska-Latterini from the Łukasiewicz – Poznań Institute of Technology, chair of the conference Organising Committee, “We invite scientists representing forestry and wood sciences, representatives of the public sector, and practitioners from the wood industry and involved in sustainable forest management to participate in an interdisciplinary dialogue, which is extremely necessary today in the face of the challenges facing the modern forestry, with climate change at the forefront. This year’s theme, ‘Sustainable solutions and digitalisation in the forestry and wood sector,’ puts digitalisation at the centre of the discussion – it is an excellent opportunity to explore how digital tools, AI, and automation can support forestry and wood-based value chains. All these issues will be discussed at the conference,” she adds.

The conference is organised by Łukasiewicz – Poznań Institute of Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, and the ICP Digital Transformation Contact Point.

The conference is held under the honorary patronage of: National Representation of Doctoral Students, Polish Economic Chamber of Wood Industry, National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, Provincial Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Poznań, and the Association of Foresters and Wood Technologists.

The media patrons are Drewno.pl and Gazeta Przemysłu Drzewnego.

You can register for the conference using the form available at https://www.wood-science-economy.pl/en/. Registration is open until 15 October 2025.