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Woodrise 2021 to be held in Japan

The second edition of the Woodrise international congress came to a close today on a very positive note. This event, co-organized by FPInnovations (Canada) and the FCBA Technological Institute (France), brought together over 800 participants in Québec City at the Centre des congrès de Québec, Sept. 30 – Oct. 4. In total, delegates from 29 countries, representing all continents, took part in this international forum to share the latest advances in mid- and high-rise wood construction, and to promote the use of wood in tomorrow’s sustainable cities.

This unique international event concluded with the announcement of the next Woodrise Congress, to be held in Kyoto, Japan, in the fall of 2021, under the auspices of the Japan International Association for the Industry of Building and Housing (JIBH). Japan, with a long history of wood construction, has succeeded in taking advantage of the seismic properties of wood, while at the same time taking a particular interest in the well-being provided by wood buildings. “We are honoured to host Woodrise 2021 and to bring this important international forum into the Asian market,” declared Hideki Nose, Chairman of the JIBH Steering Committee.

Stéphane Renou, President and CEO of FPInnovations, and Christophe Mathieu, Executive Director of the FCBA Technological Institute, combined their voices in stating that “many stakeholders have already expressed their interest in participating in the next edition of Woodrise, which will help consolidate the groundwork already laid and maximize the contribution of wood as a key material in the fight against climate change.”

New partner for Woodrise Alliance

The first edition of Woodrise, held in Bordeaux, France, in 2017, gave rise to the Woodrise Alliance, a group of six research institutes that joined forces to define and sign a memorandum of multilateral co-operation for the international development of the use of wood and bio-based materials for the construction or renovation of efficient and resilient zero-carbon buildings. New signatories were then added to the original group in 2018, bringing the list to 25 members, representing 10 countries.

Today, five new R&D partners added their signatures to the Woodrise Alliance at a meeting held in Quebec City. These new signatories will strengthen this scientific network with a vision of developing wood construction globally.