“Our ambition is to represent the entire wood processing value chain.”
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Wood Products & Technology is the Nordic region's premier meeting place for the industrial wood sector. Held at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg, the event brings together companies, organizations, researchers, and decision-makers from across the entire wood value chain—ranging from sawmills and raw materials to production technologies, automation, digitalization, and timber construction. It takes place every two years. For more details, LE COURRIER D'AFRIQUE 54 spoke with Ms. Monika ÖLUND Director of the essential Wood Products & Technology trade fair. Let’s hear what she has to say.
Interview conducted by: Youcef MAALLEMI (maallemi-youcef@lecourrierdafrique54.com)
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. Before discussing this 23rd edition, could you look back at the 22nd edition held in September 2024?
Monika ÖLUND: I didn’t work with the edition 2024 but I know it was an important event for us and for the industry. It confirmed both the continued need for a national industry meeting place and the importance of continuously developing the event to remain relevant to the market.
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. Could you introduce Wood Products & Technology to our readers?
Monika ÖLUND: What makes the fair special is that it is not simply a machinery exhibition. Our ambition is to represent the entire wood-processing value chain and combine business with knowledge, innovation and networking. This creates opportunities for people from different parts of the industry to meet and develop new ideas and collaborations.
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. Looking back at the event held August 25–27, what were the successes of this edition, and what areas could potentially be improved?
Monika ÖLUND: One of the strongest aspects of 2026 was the engagement among those who participated. We saw high-quality business discussions, networking, workshops and knowledge exchange. The programme also highlighted important topics such as resource efficiency, automation, AI, skills and timber construction. At the same time, both exhibitor and visitor numbers remain a challenge. Our task for 2028 is therefore very clear: we need to broaden participation and strengthen the relevance of the meeting place for even more parts of the industry.
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. How many people attended Wood Products & Technology 2026, and did their profiles match the target audience?
Monika ÖLUND: The 2026 event welcomed approximately 3082 visits. Although we would like to increase the total number, the visitor profile was highly relevant. We saw representatives from sawmills, wood-processing industries, furniture and joinery production, construction, architecture, machinery and technology, as well as research and industry organisations.
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. How is the timber sector in Sweden faring?
Monika ÖLUND: Listening to the industry Sweden has a very strong and internationally important forest and wood industry, but the current market is challenging. Weak construction activity in Sweden and several important export markets has affected demand. At the same time, companies are investing in efficiency, automation and new technology, and the long-term demand for renewable and resource-efficient materials creates significant opportunities for wood.
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. How has the Wood Products & Technology fair become a must-attend event?
Monika ÖLUND The fair has a long history and a strong position within the Nordic wood industry. Its strength lies in bringing together different parts of the value chain in one place. Machines and technology are important, but so are knowledge, research, timber construction, skills and the opportunity to meet colleagues and customers face-to-face.
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. In your opinion, what areas should be improved for the 24th edition in 2028?
Monika ÖLUND: Our priority is to strengthen the fair together with the industry. We need to attract more exhibitors and visitors, increase international participation and continue developing content around technology, automation, AI, resource efficiency and competence. Most importantly, the fair must create clear business value for everyone who invests their time in participating.
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. How can timber construction solutions leverage new market conditions to expand on a large scale?
Monika ÖLUND: To scale up, timber construction needs to be competitive not only from a sustainability perspective but also in terms of cost, productivity and efficiency. Industrialised construction, prefabrication, digitalisation and closer cooperation throughout the value chain will be important. Sweden’s new, more function-based building regulations may also create better conditions for innovative timber solutions.
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. How do you envision the timber construction market looking by 2030?
Monika ÖLUND: I am not an expert in these questions, but if you read and talk to the business, they believe timber will have a stronger position by 2030, particularly as climate requirements become more important and construction becomes increasingly industrialised. However, there is still considerable potential for growth. In Sweden, timber structures represented around 14% of newly built floor area in 2025, while the share was higher in public buildings such as schools and healthcare facilities.
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. In your view, what are the advantages of using wood in building construction?
Monika ÖLUND: Wood is renewable, stores carbon during the lifetime of the building and can contribute to reducing the climate impact of construction. It is also well suited to industrialised and prefabricated building methods, which can shorten construction times and improve productivity.
Le Courrier d’Afrique 54. Finally, are there any other topics you would like to discuss?
Monika ÖLUND: One issue I would particularly highlight is collaboration. The transformation of the wood industry cannot be achieved by individual companies alone. We need closer cooperation between industry, research, technology providers, architects, construction companies and policymakers. This is also where we see Wood Products & Technology playing an important role – as a platform where the entire value chain can meet, exchange knowledge and move the industry forward.
Event place Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre in Gothenburg.