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Future export markets of industrial wood construction – A qualitative backcasting study

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  • Toivonen, Ritva
  • Lilja, Anna
  • Vihemäki, Heini
  • Toppinen, Anne

Abstract

The forest sector can play a major role in the transformation to a sustainable bioeconomy, driven by climate change, population growth, and accelerated urbanization. However, in most contexts, the industrial wood construction markets, as a promising field for sustainable bioeconomy, are still at a niche level. The analysis in this study concerns the preferred future export markets for industrial wood construction for the Finnish wood construction industry, as viewed by a panel of industrial, policy and academic experts. The aim is to identify promising export markets for Finland, and to identify required pathways by 2030. A qualitative participatory backcasting method was applied to explore the future visions of the industrial wood construction (IWC) sector and its export markets, as well as the pathways from the current towards the envisioned future. Thirty-five experts formed a panel which produced five visions of the development of industrial wood construction sector exports from Finland, covering the period 2020–2030. All the visions foresaw that the domestic market needs to develop first, to build up the competencies needed to fuel the growth in the exports. Asia, particularly China with its rapidly growing markets, and Europe, with its growing sustainability awareness, commonly appeared as the most promising areas for export growth. The resulting visions differed in terms of export portfolios, varying from more traditional wood materials and products to product-service-solutions. The policy measures identified to accelerate the envisioned growth included harmonization of product and building standards and regulations in the Nordic region and beyond, developing the educational base, and using of digital solutions in building new networks and communication in the IWC sector.

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  • Toivonen, Ritva & Lilja, Anna & Vihemäki, Heini & Toppinen, Anne, 2021. "Future export markets of industrial wood construction – A qualitative backcasting study," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:forpol:v:128:y:2021:i:c:s1389934121000861
    DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2021.102480
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    2. Heiskanen, Aleksi & Hurmekoski, Elias & Toppinen, Anne & Näyhä, Annukka, 2022. "Exploring the unknowns – State of the art in qualitative forest-based sector foresight research," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    3. Edgaras Linkevičius & Povilas Žemaitis & Marius Aleinikovas, 2023. "Sustainability Impacts of Wood- and Concrete-Based Frame Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-19, January.
    4. Mariana Hassegawa & Jo Van Brusselen & Mathias Cramm & Pieter Johannes Verkerk, 2022. "Wood-Based Products in the Circular Bioeconomy: Status and Opportunities towards Environmental Sustainability," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-16, November.
    5. Victor De Araujo & Jozef Švajlenka & Juliano Vasconcelos & Herisson Santos & Sheyla Serra & Fernando Almeida Filho & José Paliari & Francisco Rocco Lahr & André Christoforo, 2022. "Is the Timber Construction Sector Prepared for E-Commerce via Instagram ® ? A Perspective from Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-15, July.

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