Area of action

By bringing together all the players in the timber industry - scientists, foresters, manufacturers, federations and civil society - Valbowal aims to make the Walloon forest more resilient and diversified, to develop the Walloon timber industry in a sustainable and circular way, and to strengthen a decarbonized, social and circular Walloon economy contributing to the well-being of future generations. All this will be achieved by proposing new approaches at all levels, from forestry to building materials, including training and digitalization.

The main areas of focus are :

> A resilient and diversified forest: wood is by nature a renewable resource that stores carbon. In the face of climate change and the desirable development of the use of wood in construction, a rational and diversified management of the forest is an essential link in increasing its productivity and the industrialization of wood. Axis supported by the Belgian Wood Confederation

> Wood processing: wood is a resource from which many chemical compounds can be extracted and processed. The development of new extraction, fragmentation and purification processes using new species or co-products from the wood industry will enable the emergence of new bio-based products with high added value. Axis led by Filière Bois Wallonie

> Circular construction products for prolonged carbon storage: wood as a construction material has a wide range of applications. Innovative products with reasoned and optimized performance, as well as new production and construction methods, will help to broaden the range of uses. With a view to reuse, recycling and recovery, we need to push further the sustainability and circularity of wood applications. Research needs to focus on technical reversibility and reintroduction into new production cycles (upcycling). Driven by Buildwise

> Training and digitization: this area is cross-cutting with the first three. Led by Forem - Wallonie Bois.