In order to meet the needs for the developing bio-based economy, maintaining and expanding the market potential for wood raw materials and wood products in indoor and outdoor construction uses remains a key activity for industries in the biotechnological and forestry sector respectively. A major restraint in this respect is the drastically deviating views and expectations on quality and performance of the material. Such differences can be found between producers and consumers, between architects and engineers, between planners and approval bodies as well as between academia on the one hand and industry and traders on the other hand. The wood protection and wood preservation sector is located exactly within this area of deviating opinions. To overcome the barriers due to different perceptions and therewith strengthen the standing of wood as a desirable building material in the future, new strategies and methods for communication, knowledge transfer and education are needed. Networking and scientific exchange between different disciplines is needed, such as forest science, silviculture, applied forestry, material sciences, wood technology, building technology, architecture and engineering. Consumer demands and preferences, which might serve as limit states to develop service life prediction and performance models, need to consider aesthetical aspects as well as the functionality of timber building assemblies. Finally, teaching students, craftsmen, and salesmen is the key to enhance the acceptance of renewable and carbon-storing products, which are both biodegradable and highly variable in their properties. All these peculiarities require a deeper understanding of their nature and characteristics to improve their purpose-related usage.

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