NewWoodApproach

Today’s construction industry is still based on technologies that were largely developed in the first half of the 20th century and rely primarily on concrete and steel. This makes the construction industry the world’s most resource-intensive sector. In Germany alone, approximately 500 million tonnes of mineral raw materials are consumed annually across the entire construction sector, which corresponds to around 90% of all mineral raw materials extracted in Germany [Destatis (2017)]. Construction and demolition accidents also account for approximately 50–60% of Germany’s waste generation [Destatis (2019)]. This immense consumption of materials calls for a shift in thinking towards the increased use of wood as a structural building material (including the development of basic concepts for circular timber construction methods).

Against this backdrop, New Wood Approach is conceived as an exploratory project. The aim is to analyse concepts of digital value creation, their dissemination and use cases, drivers and barriers, as well as to develop suitable concepts with regard to the specific circumstances of traditional timber construction. The results of the project are intended to provide a knowledge base that can help to strengthen the long-term economic competitiveness of timber construction vis-à-vis mineral-based construction methods.

The basic idea behind NWA is based on the realisation that value creation is increasingly dominated across all sectors by business models based on the principles of digitalisation and the utilisation of data. Driven by this, NWA follows two guiding principles:

1. The strategic adaptation of fundamental patterns and mechanisms of digital value creation concepts – such as platforms, data spaces and corresponding digital ecosystems – is the key to increasing the efficiency of material, time and human resources in timber construction to such an extent that it remains economically competitive with mineral-based construction methods even under today’s economic conditions.
2. Digital value creation concepts hold the potential to set new standards in bilateral, cooperative collaboration throughout the entire construction process.

In close collaboration with the research partner Fraunhofer Centre for International Management and Knowledge Economy (IMW), the research project is examined from the perspectives of organisational and process models (HTWK) as well as business models (IMW). The focus is also on regular exchange with selected industry partners along the entire value chain, thereby ensuring the practical relevance of the concepts developed.

The joint project began on 15 April 2024 and is funded for 18 months by the Fachagentur für Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR). The project is coordinated by HTWK.