IRG Notice Board
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ECWM12
12th European Conference on Wood Modification
October 26-27, 2026
The 12th European Conference on Wood Modification (ECWM12) will take place in Dresden, Germany, on October 26-27, 2026. ECWM conferences provide a forum for research organisations and companies, as well as stakeholders, architects, and project managers to learn about the latest developments in wood modification, to discuss them with renowned experts, and to build networks in an informal and friendly atmosphere. All types of wood modification are covered. This includes thermal, chemical, or impregnation modification, as well as related technologies, such as microwave, plasma and enzymatic modification. The programme will also include testing methods and standards, environmental issues, quality control, and aspects of commercialisation and markets.
The Programme for the ECWM12 conference is now available as a PDF. To read and/or download the Programme please click here.
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IUFRO All-Division 5 Conference in Tartu, Estonia, on May 30th- June 3rd, 2027
IUFRO Division 5 “Forest Products” coordination team would like to announce the next All-Division
5 conference 2027 "Future Forest Use: Advancing Wood Science and Forest Products for a Circular
Bioeconomy", which will be jointly organised in cooperation with SWST and the Estonian University of
Life Science.
The conference will be held in Tartu, Estonia, at the Estonian National Museum from May 30th to June 3rd, 2027. First information about the event can be found on https://www.iufro-div5-2027.ee. As in
the previous events, the next All-Division 5 Conference will again bring together experts to discuss the future of sustainable forestry, wood science, forest products and the circular bioeconomy.
The conference will address the numerous aspects of forest products as represented in 11 active
research groups of Division 5, which can be summarised into key topics as follows. Future Wood: Climatesmart forest management and silviculture for forest tree growth, wood yield and quality. Wood Science:
From wood anatomy to the analytics of mechanical, physical and chemical properties. Wood Valorization: Innovative approaches of wood engineering and wood technologies to convert biomass into energy,
chemicals, fibers, and high-performance composites. Non-Wood Products: Exploring the value of
medicinal and edible components of forest crops. It goes beyond wood, emphasizing the efficient,
science-based use of forest resources for the good of mankind.
The call for sessions is open now. Submission deadline is March 15, 2026. To submit the proposal,
please visit the conference website (https://www.iufro-div5-2027.ee/call-for-sessions). The call for
sessions ends on March 15, 2026, and the acceptance of sessions will be announced in April, 2026. In
addition to scientific sessions, the program will include post-conference tours organised by the local
organising committee. To stay up-to-date, please sign up for the newsletter on https://www.iufro-div5-
2027.ee/welcome/.
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International Marine Wood Borer Network
A new group for studies into marine borers
The International Marine Wood-Borer Network (IMWBN) has recently been established and is a global community of researchers, practitioners and enthusiasts dedicated to the organisms that live in, eat and transform wood in the sea.
Marine wood-borers include shipworms (Teredinidae), piddocks, xylophagaids, gribbles (Limnoria), chelurids, sphaeromatids and their allies.
Today, they sit at the heart of several frontier research areas. Shipworm symbionts are a rich source of novel enzymes, antibiotics and bioactive compounds, and form a powerful model system for studying symbiosis. Naked clams – farmed shipworms – are emerging as ultra-fast-growing blue-foods capable of turning low-value wood waste into high-value protein. Fossil borings extend their influence into deep time, helping reconstruct ancient climates, shorelines and ecosystems over millions of years.
The IMWBN was created to unite people working on marine wood-borers across biology, ecology, palaeontology, microbiology, aquaculture, conservation, engineering, heritage science and biotechnology.
The IMWBN exists to give marine wood-borers – and the people who study them – a proper home: a place where this field is visible, impactful and high-profile, and where these remarkable “boring” organisms can receive the attention they genuinely merit.
More details can be found on their website (https://www.imwbn.com/)
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