11th European Wood-based Panel Symposium 2018: Meeting point for the wood-based materials industry

More than 300 participants from all corners of the globe are expected by the organizers at the Grand Elysée Hotel in Hamburg. The program is formed by speakers from manufacturers and users as well as from research and development.

The 22 specialist presentations are grouped into sessions on the topics of market and trends, raw materials, process technology, automotive and furniture applications, and international requirements. The breaks and the two evening events will provide ample opportunities for debates and specialist discussions amongst the participants.

The welcoming address by the hosts, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bohumil Kasal from the Fraunhofer WKI and Kris Wijnendaele from the EPF, will be followed by a speech from Jens Kerstan, Senator for the Hamburg authority for the environment and energy, in which he will welcome the participants to “his” city.

In the first block, Jan Bergmann from Sonae Arauco will speak on behalf of the EPF regarding the current situation in and the challenges faced by the European wood-based materials industry, and Torben Halbe from the Deutscher Forstwirtschaftsrat (German Forestry Council) will provide a presentation on the use of the forest as a raw material source for panel materials. Professor Tunga Salthammer from the Fraunhofer WKI will present the results of a study on formaldehyde sources and emissions in ambient and indoor air.

Presentations on the trends in the wood-based materials industry will focus on the use of recycled wood, 3D wood-based polymers (WPC) and the utilization of hardwood and lightweight panels in building construction. The user's point of view is represented by Fabian Fischer from Volkswagen AG, Christian Ullrich from Nobilia and Venla Hemmilä from IKEA, who will present the use of sustainable materials in the automotive and furniture industries as well as the requirements thereby placed upon them.

Industry 4.0 also presents a challenge in the production of wood-based materials: further speakers will report on strategic planning, digitization and big data in the woodworking industry. In addition to numerous other topics, new hybrid adhesives, non-destructive examination methods as well as VOC emissions from materials and their reduction will form the focus of further lectures.

Ten companies will present their products and services at the technical exhibition which accompanies the conference.

The two evening events offer a framework for networking whilst enjoying good food and musical entertainment. The evening reception at the invitation of Sasol Wax on 11th October will take place at a special location in Hamburg, which will remain a surprise until the last minute. As always, the organizers will provide bus shuttles for arrivals and departures.

The European Wood-based Panel Symposium takes place every two years and is organized by the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research WKI and the European Panel Federation EPF with support from the International Association for Technical Issues related to Wood iVTH e.V. and Sasol Wax.

At the 10th European Wood-based Panel Symposium in 2016, more than 310 participants from 34 countries took part. Around 54 percent of the participants came from Germany, 35 percent from other European countries and 11 percent from overseas. The Symposium is primarily aimed at manufacturers of wood-based materials, the supplier industry and research institutions.

The program for the Symposium can be found on the conference website at www.european-wood-based-panel-symposium.org, where you can also register for the Symposium. Reduced early bird prices apply until 14th August.

http://www.european-wood-based-panel-symposium.org – further information, final program and registration