To ensure the sustainability of Estonia’s forest resources, it is important to grow trees in their optimal environments and reduce diseases and other threats that could compromise wood quality. Research on carbon sequestration in forests helps to find a balance between logging restrictions and the science-based use of forest resources. Improving the quality of forest resources is essential for developing a high value-added wood industry. Key research and development directions in science-based forest management include:
- Assessing the impact of climate change on local tree species
- Cultivating new suitable non-native tree species
- Digitalising forest data (including the development of forecasting models and remote sensing methods)
- Analysing the effects of growth accelerators, stimulants, and nutrients
- Studying the CO2 sequestration capacity of different tree species
- Analysing the impact of climate change on the mechanical and chemical properties of wood
The aim of this subfield is to create durable products from wood. Coniferous wood resources are in high demand, but the potential of deciduous wood remains underutilised. It is important to apply cascade use to maximise raw material efficiency, create long-lasting products (such as wooden buildings), and sequester carbon within them.
In developing the field of mechanical valorisation of wood, the following research and development directions are important:
- Development of fire- and moisture-resistant materials and technologies
- Creation of solutions for combined coniferous and deciduous wood construction materials and technical joints
- Wood-based sound-absorbing insulation materials and technologies
- Digitisation, robotisation, and machine learning technologies and solutions
- Innovative surface treatment technologies and equipment
- Development of products from low-quality and small cross-section wood
- Development of wood-based composite materials
- Advancement of wood thermal processing
The fractionation of wood and the valorisation of the resulting fractions is considered the most important development direction in the wood industry, with the potential to significantly increase the sector’s added value. Each year, Estonia exports 2 million m³ of pulpwood that should instead be valorised domestically. To ensure sustainability, it is crucial to minimise the generation of residues and by-products and to efficiently process those that do occur. Converting residues and by-products into higher value-added products helps create circular economy chains, where materials are returned to production with a new purpose.
The goal is to develop and implement solutions that help to:
- Develop new technologies in the field of wood, cellulose and lignin chemistry
- Chemically modify wood to improve fire and moisture resistance
- Valorise lignocellulosic biomass to replace fossil-based materials
- Develop new solvents and environments for chemical modification of cellulose
- Valorise cellulose into nanocellulose
- Chemically valorise wood into products for medicine, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals
The by-products of primary wood processing and the residues of semi-finished production must be directed to further processing. It is necessary to move from semi-finished products to end-products, reaching a level in Estonia where wood material is fully utilised and maximally valorised throughout the entire value chain. The reuse of wood residues and their use as input in production is hindered mainly by problems related to additives that limit the reuse of wood from construction and demolition activities, as well as the lack of statistics on wood residues obtained from the demolition of wooden structures.
The goal is to develop and implement solutions that help:
- Use low-value wood resources for industrial purposes
- Apply the principle of cascade use of wood, meaning first in long-lasting products (wooden buildings) and, at the end of their life cycle, the same material as glued laminated beams, particle boards or wood fibres
