Responsible timber futures through policy and practice
How can public buildings and housing serve as catalysts for a more resilient forest landscape? In turn, how can resilient forests support the creation of healthy, energy-efficient, and affordable homes? And how can policy strengthen a resilient value chain that sustains both thriving forest landscapes and high-quality, affordable housing. These big questions frame the focus of this year’s conference.
WoodBUILD 2026 will once more gather voices from across the forestry and timber construction value chain including policy makers, knowledge creators and practical doers, to explore these across 2 days of keynote presentations, knowledge exchange and practice demonstration.
Learn about international approaches to innovation in regional forest economies, be inspired by contagiously grassroots initiatives in working with communities, gather insights on impact finance to support industry transformation and use the opportunity to share your own stories and ideas in our practice-focused workshops and networking sessions.
Join over 250 industry leaders on 30 June – 01 July in Trefforest to connect, innovate, and drive meaningful change.
Venue: University of South Wales, Trefforest Campus, Llantwit Road, Pontypridd CF37 1DL
WoodBUILD 2026 will unite timber and construction stakeholders to collaborate, innovate, and drive opportunities for meaningful change.
Full programme
Please note this programme represents our best understanding of events at this stage but remains subject to potential updates prior to the event.
Expand each section to explore further …
Monday 29 June: Pre-WoodBUILD 2026 Site Visits
Join one of five site visits on your way to WoodBUILD 2026. These stand-alone tours offer behind-the-scenes access to a range of sites across south Wales and the Valleys.
1. New housing in practice – Celtic Offsite, Caerphilly
The Tai ar y Cyd Project will see low carbon affordable timber frame homes manufactured in factories and assembled on sites across Wales using a pattern book of housing designs agreed between the 27 local authority and housing association members. The first prototypes are being developed, and this visit will enable WoodBUILD delegates to see the manufacturing process in the factory and the site where the new homes will be assembled.
United Welsh HA and its social enterprise subsidiary timber frame manufacturer Celtic Offsite will host a visit to the factory in Caerphilly and their contractor M&J Cosgrove will give a tour of the site in Abertridwr where the first of the Tai ar y Cyd prototype homes will be developed in a future phase. The visit will provide an opportunity to find out more about Tai ar y Cyd, the timber frame manufacturing process and the development of new homes.
Time: 13:45–16:45
Meet: Minibus departs University Campus in Trefforest. Pickup/drop-off point is outside Hoffi Coffee on Brook Street: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EupZtj6EsBqJ74NU8
Led by: Steve Cranston
Capacity: 15
PPE Required: Hard hat, hi-vis vest and appropriate footwear (work or safety boots). Limited provision of PPE available on site.
2. A Walk in the Park – Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd CF37 4PD
Join Andrew Sowerby FIC For, President of the Institute of Chartered Foresters as he leads a guided walk around the trees of Ynysangharad Park in the heart of Pontypridd. A Valleys Regional Park Discovery Gateway Site, Ynysangharad Park is home to a range of planting, including the avenue of trees to the war memorial, the sunken garden, hedgerows and grassland.
Time: 14:00–17.00
Meet: Entrance to The National Lido of Wales within Ynysangharad Park: https://maps.app.goo.gl/87aboZWkdKZyRuPm8
Led by: Andrew Sowerby FIC For, President of the Institute of Chartered Foresters
Capacity: 30
3. Welcome to our Woods – Ty Pren Roundhouse, Treherbert, Treorchy CF42 5HU
Join us in Treherbert for a site visit and conversation around the Rhondda Skyline project and how community-led initiatives are engaging with forests and land to develop a thriving future for themselves.
This site visit is kindly hosted by Welcome to our Woods and brings together contributors from Down to Earth and Black Mountain College to speak to community engagement, education and making timber from local wood.
Time: 15:00-17.00
Transport: We encourage the use of public transport. Trains from Cardiff (13.56h), Trefforest (14.24h) or Pontypridd (14.28h) arriving at Treherbert 15.04h. A 5-minute walk to the Old Brewery Site. Christiane Lellig (Woodknowledge Wales) will be at the station and leading people to the site.
Led by: Welcome to our Woods
Capacity: 30
4. Conserving our built heritage – St Fagan’s National Museum of History, Cardiff CF5 6XB
Join Woodknowledge Wales for a visit to St Fagan’s National Museum of History, a collection of buildings used to provide context for the historical lifestyle, culture, and architecture of the Welsh people.
Led by knowledgeable Wood Scientist and advisor at Woodknowledge Wales, Dainis Dauksta, this visit will look in detail at the following buildings:
- Kennixton Farmhouse – visit upstairs to see and analyse the unique crossed collars, joints, dowels of the roof structure
- Hendre’r-ywydd Uchaf Longhouse – discussion of the distinctive layout of the Welsh longhouse (living conditions) culture, whilst looking at the oak post and beam structures
- The Sawmill – explore the utilitarian roundwood structure, alongside the pragmatic use of local material in formats very different to those in conventional timber merchants; plus discuss the basics of sawmilling and working conditions of a traditional sawmill.
- Cilewent Farmhouse – look at an original cruck framed hall house, later converted into a longhouse.
- Abernodwydd Farmhouse – discuss elite post and beam oak houses and the reuse of timber, plus the design details of this building. Compare the living conditions of the farmhouse with those of the longhouse, also seen on the tour.
This visit is closely aligned to the themes of WoodBUILD 2026, bringing together heritage, timber and innovation.
Capacity: 30
Time: 14.30–17:00
Transport: Minibus departs University Campus in Trefforest. Pickup/drop-off point is outside Hoffi Coffee on Brook Street: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EupZtj6EsBqJ74NU8
You may also wish to travel independently to St Fagan’s National Museum of History
Led by: Wood Science Advisor Dainis Dauksta
5. Walking a working forest – Llantrisant Forest, Ynysmaerdy CF72 8LN
Llantrisant Forest is a mixed species woodland being managed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for multiple objectives. It covers about 240 hectares and much of it is made up of stands of conifer species.
Join Woodknowledge Wales as we walk through a number of stands and discuss the different management options including clearfelling and replanting or continuous cover management. It is an opportunity to understand the challenges of managing productive conifers in areas of high population where there is significant public use for recreation and well-being. We will discuss tree species and their potential to be used in construction along with the processes from the forest via the processors and manufacturers into the built environment.
Time: 14.00–17:00
Meet: Car park on site at OS Grid Ref: ST 025 847, nearest postcode CF72 8LN or What 3 words: raven.bother.writings
PPE Required: We will be walking on paths through stands of trees and on forest tracks so please wear suitable clothing and sturdy footwear.
Led by: Chris Rees (NRW)
Capacity: 20
Book your free place one of our pre-conference visits here.
Day 1: What forest? What timber? What building?
Looking at the future ahead, this day starts with a review of where we’ve got to so far in our endeavours before diving straight into forecasts for forests, construction, society and geopolitical contexts that impact our industry. It continues with the question of how to work with communities to deliver greater impact across the value chain and finishes with a panel conversation around policy requirements for the next Welsh Government and what we can learn from other regions in Europe.
09:00 Arrivals, refreshments, exhibition and networking
Kick off your WoodBUILD experience at the conference centre’s reception area, where our friendly team will be ready to greet you at the WoodBUILD desk. Pick up your badge, sign up for workshops, and then head into the main hall to enjoy refreshments, meet fellow attendees, and explore our vibrant exhibition space.
The buzz starts here—welcome to Day 1!
09:30 Opening welcome
To kick things off, our fantastic MC Rachel Cook who runs Networks for Woodknowledge Wales, will take the stage with a warm welcome and a look ahead at what’s in store. Get ready for a day packed with fresh ideas, big conversations, and plenty of inspiration.
09:45 Plenary 1: Innovation through collaboration – where we made progress
This is a moment to look at our collective and individual progress since WoodBUILD 2025. Presented by Gary Newman, CE of Woodknowledge Wales, Plenary 1 will invite our sponsors to share what’s new in their world in the last 12 months with delegates.
Share some of your own projects and find out how, together, we’ve been advancing the formidable five: purposeful growing, added-value processing, low-carbon manufacturing, net-zero construction and fostering an enabling wood culture.
10:30 Refreshments, exhibition and networking
Make your way into the coffee lounge, on the ground floor of the Conference Centre to enjoy refreshments. Network with your peers as you peruse our 20 indoor and outdoor exhibition stands in the adjacent main hall. This is where connections are made!
11:00 Plenary 2: Leading from the future – forests, buildings, finance
Hear from our visionary speakers, how they expect the future to unfold. We’ll be looking at economic, ecological, social and geopolitical forecasts and more and how these may impact our industry beyond what we already take into account in today’s business decisions and operations.
Speakers include Ele George (Elevate) and Professor Gert-Jan Nabuurs (Wageningen University and Research).
12:30 Lunch, exhibition, networking
It’s time to recharge and reconnect. Make your way into the coffee lounge, on the ground floor of the Conference Centre for buffet lunch and refreshing drinks. As you refuel, take the opportunity to explore the exhibition in the main hall, and strike up a conversation—you never know where a good chat might lead.
13:30 Plenary 3: Leading from the now – working with communities
Discover some of the contagious bottom-up projects working with communities on retrofit and newbuild projects as well as forest management and timber processing. Learn how these grassroots approaches nourish diversity and inclusion whilst addressing poverty through tangible action in forest and building construction and what funders investing into these projects are looking for.
15:00 Refreshments, exhibition and networking
Join us again in the ground floor coffee lounge (in the Conference Centre) for refreshments, good conversation. Pop into the main hall to connect with peers in a space designed to inspire collaboration and innovation.
15:30 Plenary 4: Transformation in land use and society – where now for policy?
Across Europe the question of transformation in land use and society is being discussed on a regional and national level. Catalonia demonstrates an innovative and politically bold approach to fostering a forest based bioeconomy in a socio-economically challenging context. How does this relate to the situation in Wales and the UK? What inspiration can newly elected Senedd members take from this example? What are the key questions that require addressing over the next political mandate?
Join our keynote speaker, Secretary General of the Agriculture Department from the Generalitat of Catalonia, Cristina Massot Berna, and a panel of policy makers and industry members for a dialogue around the policy questions that matter.
16:30 Plenary 5: Navigating the leading edge
After a full day of conversations around present and future opportunities and concerns, Oliver Broadbent FRSA HonFIStructE, Director of Constructivist will help us lift up potential and underlying patterns in our work.
17:00 CLOSE
We look forward to continuing our discussions informally over dinner.
18:30 Networking and dinner
An informal gathering with drinks served in the Stilts restaurant on campus, followed by a hot buffet on campus will allow us all to keep the buzz going, listen to a few impromptu announcements and celebrate some off-programme successes as we all enjoy some locally prepared food.
Day 2: Forestry, timber and construction projects that make a difference
Day 2 focuses on the practical questions that matter. This year we’re placing particular emphasis on cross-cutting issues that concern different parts of the value chain. We’ll be looking at future tree species and future investments in housing and forest infrastructure, how to make wood work for rural communities, how to unlock biobased materials for the retrofit market, skills and inclusion, and the role of policy in driving the timber age through public procurement to name but a few.
09:00 Arrivals, refreshments, exhibition and networking
Welcome back! Head through the main reception and make your way into the coffee lounge in the Conference Centre and the exhibition hall. Enjoy morning refreshments, reconnect with peers, and ease into another inspiring day at WoodBUILD.
09:30 Opening welcome
Our brilliant MC, Rachel Cook, is back to give you a warm WoodBUILD welcome. She’ll guide us into Day 2 with a smile, a spark, and a quick look back at the highlights from Day 1—setting the tone for another day of insight, ideas, and inspiration.
09:45 Plenary 1: The devil’s in the detail – questions that matter
What are the hands-on questions that matter most to people in the industry? This session is designed to spark down to earth conversations on a kaleidoscope of questions brought in by you. Please respond to our two questions in the registration form to fuel the conversation. Your input will provide the basis for this morning’s keynote presentation and panel debate.
10:30 Refreshments, exhibition and networking
Feeling inspired? Stretch your legs and drop by the coffee lounge in the Conference Centre. With coffee brewing and conversations flowing, it’s the perfect moment to catch up with peers and dive back into our exhibition space—there’s always something new to discover.
11:00 Parallel breakout sessions: choose one of five sessions.
Option 1: ROOT to Market: Scaling Regenerative Materials through Procurement
How can we make it easier to specify, procure and deliver regenerative, bio-based and secondhand materials at scale? This workshop explores how newly-launched ROOT to Market is tackling some of the practical barriers holding regenerative construction back – including procurement, supply chain visibility, and materials pipeline certainty.
The session will combine:
- Short insights from different stakeholders on why this matters
- Collaborative discussion on priorities for the next 12 months to accelerate ROOT to Market’s adoption and impact
This workshop will be particularly useful for:
- Clients, including public sector bodies, developers + asset owners
- Contractors
- Suppliers + manufacturers
- Policy, procurement + innovation teams
- Circular finance and insurance experts.
Option 2: Woodfibre insulation – yesterday’s niche, tomorrow’s mainstream?
This session is designed for designers, specifiers and manufacturers interested in the use of natural fibre insulation. You will receive an update on the current state of the industry in relation to woodfibre insulation. You will learn about opportunities for wider adoption through the inclusion of this type of insulation in the STA Patternbook. You will gain insight into testing and potential for scaling up the use of woodfibre insulation in retrofit.
Option 3: Ownership, Stewardship and the Future Timber Supply of Wales
This breakout session will explore how different woodland ownership and management models contribute to the future timber needs of Wales.
The objective of the session will be to examine the role of public, private, community, farm and investment woodland ownership in delivering timber production, ecosystem services and long-term land stewardship.
The core question of the session will be:
What ownership mix does Wales need to secure future timber supply while meeting wider public expectations?
and key discussion areas include:
- Opportunities for collaboration across ownership types
- Different woodland ownership models in Wales
- Timber production and future supply
- Stewardship and long-term management
- Public expectations and social value
- Commercial forestry and investment
- Farm and estate woodland management
- Community woodland approaches
Option 4: How policy can lead responsible timber futures with public buildings
Public buildings are where policy ambition and procurement meet. They are also places, where society can experience the impact of material and design choices. Across Europe, committed governments are using public procurement as levers for change – in perception and practice. Join us for a fireside chat around opportunities in public procurement in the UK and learn how governments in Spain, France and elsewhere are moving building with home-grown timber from exception to mainstream.
Option 5: Resilient industries and resilient forests: prioritising future productive tree species in Wales
Join us for an interactive session exploring questions around wood properties, gradability, future markets and the productive species that will grow in Wales in the future. This workshop is part of the ongoing Welsh Government project on prioritising future productive tree species for Wales. Come prepared to play Top Trumps and be part of the conversation between foresters, wood processors and wood users. The insights we gather will shape the future.
12:30 Lunch, exhibition, networking
Lunch is served—and so are the connections. Head back to the coffee lounge in the Conference Centre once again for a buffet lunch that fuels both body and mind. Whether you’re diving into conversation or taking a final stroll through the adjacent exhibition, this is another opportunity to share ideas, swap stories, and sow the seeds of collaboration.
13:30 Parallel breakout sessions: choose one of five sessions
Option 1: Making wood work for rural communities
Around the theme of shortening the wood chain and strengthening local timber economies in Wales, this session will explore how more value can be retained within rural communities through local processing, contracting, haulage, cooperative purchasing and small-scale timber enterprises.
The core question of the session will be:
How can Wales retain more value from its timber locally?
and key discussion areas include:
- Shortening local timber supply chains
- Small-scale sawmilling and processing
- Rural contracting and haulage
- Collaborative purchasing and shared infrastructure
- Farm woodland enterprise opportunities
- Barriers to retaining value within Wales
- Practical examples already working in rural communities
Option 2: Fire Safety – How do we better prepare for present and future requirements?
Rupert Scott MIFireE (ex TRADA/fire safety consultant) will set the scene by summarising changes being considered by government in the wake of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. A panel will follow with representatives from government, industry and clients, including Darren Jarman (Lowfield Timber Frames) and Paul Newman (Structural Timber Association). This will lead into a Q&A session, chaired by Steve Cranston, Programme Director for Tai ar y Cyd. The session will conclude by identifying opportunities to take collective action to unlock the full potential of our sector.
Option 3: Making the grade: unlocking opportunities for a variety of timber species and reclaimed timber
Come and discover the hidden wood scientist in you! Why? If you’re using wood in any of your projects, then grading is what enables you to do so. Somebody somewhere in the supply chain has to assess the ‘quality’ and strength of the piece of timber that will be coming your way. This workshop gives you practical insight into the hidden art of timber grading and how it can unlock a myriad of possibilities for making better use of lesser known species as well as reclaimed timber. Delivered by our Timber 101 team – a consistent WoodBUILD favourite!
Option 4: Healthy schools for healthy kids and futures: rethinking materials for public buildings
School buildings present a major opportunity to advance healthier, lower-carbon and more circular approaches to construction. This session brings together researchers, architects, manufacturers, policy makers and project stakeholders to reflect on opportunities and lessons learned from sustainable school projects in Wales and beyond. Join us to explore questions around material selection, circular construction approaches, supply chain readiness, skills development, building performance and the wider role public buildings can play in supporting innovation and more sustainable construction futures.
Option 5: Walls have a thousand stories to tell
A built-environment product, such as wood, accumulates human experiences and emotions throughout its life cycle. From the life around the tree – the shade it provides for a picnic – to its transformation into a wall, protecting and witnessing indoor social exchanges. Recycling connects different life experiences. When those stories are told, social sustainability triumphs.
15:00 Refreshments, exhibition and networking
Join us in the coffee lounge of the Conference Centre for refreshments, good conversation, and a chance to connect with peers in a space designed to inspire collaboration and innovation.
15:30 Plenary 2: Making the difference that matters
A sense-making session that weaves together the threads across the two conference days. Together with Woodknowledge Wales board members we will look at learnings and emerging patterns from breakouts and plenary sessions in a shared quest to make the difference that matters. What do the conversations over the two days tell us about our field of endeavour and what we should focus on for the next 12 months, 24 months or 36 months? What role for Woodknowledge Wales, what role for your business or organisation?
Facilitators: Rachel Cook and Christiane Lellig, Woodknowledge Wales
Panel guests: WkW board (tbc)
16:45 Famous last words
As this conference draws to a close, what are we taking with us and what are we inclined to move forward between now and summer 2027?
17:00 Conference Close
Speakers list
Ele George
Founder of Elevate FBE
Ele George is a Civil and Environmental Engineer and founder of Elevate FBE, a specialist consultancy created to bridge the gap between technical innovation and practical delivery. With over 25 years’ experience across consultancy, main contracting and manufacturing, her work focuses on how materials and industrialised construction can enable low-carbon delivery, circularity and systemic change.
Driven by a “don’t tell me, show me” philosophy, Ele’s expertise is grounded in lived experience, including the design and delivery of her own A-rated eco-home, Brock House.
As a 2025 Churchill Fellow, Ele is undertaking research in Germany, Sweden and Japan to explore how industrialised construction can make custom-build housing a scalable reality. She also serves as Partnerships Lead for Ecosystems Technologies, helping communicate the potential of their UK-grown, carbon-negative mass timber platform.
In her session at WoodBUILD 2026, Ele challenges the industry to look beyond carbon tunnel vision and confront the wider system challenges shaping our built environment. Drawing on her international research, she argues for a shift away from the UK’s bespoke-build trap towards standardised timber platforms that can genuinely unlock customer choice and make the “right thing” the easiest thing to do.
Charlie Luxton
Charlie Luxton Design
Board member of Woodknowledge Wales
Charlie is passionate about the environment and communicating the value of sustainable architecture and design. He founded Charlie Luxton Design in 2005, and since then the practice has grown to 13 people, and last year became an Employee Owned Trust (EOT) building on its core principles of creating beautiful, sustainable architecture fit for the 21st century.
Two recently completed projects capture this ambition. The first is the headquarters for an ethical investment company pursuing carbon neutrality through Passivhaus and circular economy principles, alongside careful stewardship of its 22-acre site to encourage carbon sequestration and biodiversity. The second, Hook Norton Housing, is a Community Land Trust project delivering 12 homes, a village work hub, therapy rooms, and an edible landscape — including the country’s smallest micro-grid and largest community-run car club. The project was designed to address many of the challenges facing rural communities today. These ideas are being applied across a broad range of projects, from one-off houses to settlement-scale schemes.
The practice has recently won the AJ Small Projects Sustainability Award, the Daily Telegraph ‘Home of the Year’ award, and a Gold Medal from the RHS.
Cristina Massot Berna
Secretary General of the Agriculture Department
The Generalitat of Catalonia
Cristina currently serves as Secretary General of the Agriculture Department of the Generalitat of Catalonia, a position she has held since August 2024.
From November 2021 to August 2024, Cristina was the Deputy Director General of Food Industries and Food Quality within the same department. Her main responsibilities included planning and organising actions in the food sector, fostering collaboration among various stakeholders in the agri-food chain, and ensuring the quality of agri-food products. She coordinated aid for the transformation and commercialisation of these products and promoted local Catalan agri-food products through several initiatives.
From September 2017 to November 2021, Cristina worked as a Seconded National Expert and Policy Coordinator at the DG SANTE of the European Commission in Brussels. In this capacity, she contributed significantly to developing and implementing the new European legal framework for animal health. Her work involved managing regulations that govern the entry of animals and animal products into the EU, as well as implementing disease prevention and control measures, among others.
Cristina has extensive experience in various veterinary roles. From January 2014 to September 2017, she served as the Head of the Animal Health Prevention Service at the Agriculture Department of the Generalitat of Catalonia, overseeing animal health programs aimed at preventing and controlling diseases, managing a regional laboratory, and implementing biosecurity programs across swine farms in Catalonia.
She also coordinated the Catalan Livestock Traceability System from March 2012 to January 2014, focusing on updating system requirements and training veterinarians and farmers on livestock software. Prior to that, she worked as an Official Veterinarian in several capacities, conducting farm inspections, ensuring compliance with health standards, and supervising meat quality in regional slaughterhouses.
Cristina holds a degree in Veterinary Medicine from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Mark McKenna MBE
Co-founder/ CEO
Down to Earth
Mark McKenna is co-founder and CEO of Down to Earth, an award-winning group of social enterprises based on Gower, Swansea. Working with marginalized and disadvantaged communities in south Wales, Mark has been developing inclusive approaches to health care and education through the medium of sustainable construction and sustainable land management since 2002.
Mark’s degree and Masters at Swansea University informed Down to Earth’s evidence-based way of working with on-going academic and clinical research underpinning their holistic, cross-sectoral approach.
Mark’s background has blended the use of natural materials with renewable and off grid technologies in construction to bring about positive change in people’s lives. He is an advocate for community engagement, working with young people and adults from diverse backgrounds to tackle social and environmental inequality at the same time.
In October 2020, Mark was awarded an MBE for Services to Young People and Environment.
Mark is also a board member for Natural Resources Wales.
Gert-Jan Nabuurs
Professor European Forest Resources
Wageningen University & Research
Gert-Jan Nabuurs is Professor European Forest Resources at Wageningen University & Research. His background is in European scale forest resource analyses and management under climate change. His work has both scientific aspects as well as large outreach to the forest sector. He started the work with the EFISCEN model, the European forest resource, forest management and carbon balance model. Applications are in wood availability, effects of forest management, climate change impacts, biodiversity and CO2 sequestration.
Further he was Coordinating Lead Author (CLA) of the Agriculture and Forestry chapter in the IPCC 6AR. He was also CLA in the IPCC Good Practice Guidance for Greenhouse reporting in the land use sector in 2003. He was Assistant Director of the European Forest Institute in Finland from 2009-2012. He led the Dutch forest climate pilots under the Climate Accord, a 2.3 M€/y program with 38 partners from Dutch sector. Furthermore currently he leads and is involved in six EU projects on forest, bioeconomy and climate change.
Gary Newman
Chief Executive, Woodknowledge Wales
Gary is the Chief Executive of Woodknowledge Wales and co-founder and board member of the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products. Gary is a construction engineer by training and early career. After completing a wood technology masters, Gary spent some formative years at the at the BioComposites Centre in Bangor as a researcher where he became inspired by the technical possibilities of bio-materials. In 1995, Gary established a fully integrated hemp and flax processing plant in North Wales and contracted the growing of industrial fibre crops on farms in England and Wales. Over the following 20 years Gary was responsible for developing and manufacturing a range of bio-products including horticultural and automotive nonwovens, hemp particleboard and hemp fibre insulation supplied through B&Q.
Speakers and facilitators
Paul Brannen
Commissioner Forestry Commission
Director Public Affairs, CEI-Bois, EOS and Confederation of Timber Industries
Paul is member of the Board of the English Forestry Commission and he is the author of Timber! How wood can help save the world from climate breakdown Edinburgh University Press.
Paul leads the advocacy engagement of the European woodworking and sawmill industries towards the EU institutions and likewise to the UK parliament for the Confederation of Timber Industries.
This year he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Institute of Chartered Foresters. Last year he was awarded the Confederation of Forest Industries’ Changing Attitudes Award.
He is a former UK Member of the European Parliament (MEP) who in the 2014-2019 parliament served on both the Environment Committee and the Agriculture Committee. In 2015 he was a rapporteur on the revision of the European Forestry Strategy.
Before becoming an MEP Paul worked for the development charity Christian Aid as head of advocacy working primarily on climate change. Earlier roles were with the Anti-Apartheid Movement, the Labour Party, Hobsbawm Macaulay Communications and Common Purpose.
Tim Clement
Director of Social Value & Sustainability
Morgan Sindall Construction
Tim leads the social value and sustainability activities of Morgan Sindall’s construction business. He has led several collaborative R&D initiatives to improve the built environment sector, including an Innovate UK funded AI project.
With a background in design management, Tim studied Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment at the University of Cambridge, and he created CarboniCa, the innovative and award-winning whole life carbon reduction tool for the built environment.
Rachel Cook
Networks
Woodknowledge Wales
Rachel works with the Communities of Practice (CoPs) and supports membership development, events and training. Rachel’s background is in architecture, urban design and construction. She worked for a South Wales contractor for 11years starting as a trainee engineer, and rising to Site Manager. With a passion for developing skills and training within the industry she later went on to work for Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) as a local manger gaining insight to industry needs across Wales. Her most recent role was with Construction Wales Innovation Centre (CWIC) at University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) as a Net Zero Industry Support Manager.
Steve Cranston
Programme Director
Tai ar y Cyd
Steve leads Tai ar y Cyd – an ambitious collaboration of 25 Welsh social landlords looking to build next generation zero carbon affordable homes that nurture people and planet. Tai ar y Cyd roots are in the Woodknowledge Wales seminal Homes Grown Homes project. This collaboration is a step change opportunity for home grown timber in Wales.
He is an experienced practitioner in the fields of housing, social enterprise and community led regeneration. He has a keen interest in working collaboratively to unlock the potential of anchor institutions that are so vital in strengthening our foundational economy.
He has always had a passion for housing – his first proper job was leading a local authority homelessness team.
Steve is a proud grandad and enjoys being outdoors backpacking, fishing, gardening, sailing and walking.
Anna Dauksta
Forestry and Timber Project Manager
Woodknowledge Wales
Anna is passionate about creating a future where individuals, communities and businesses across Wales and the UK have a deeper understanding of the vital part forestry and timber can play in improving the sustainability of our built and natural environments.
Anna has had a varied career working in a range of environmental and educational roles including Aberystwyth University, Tir Coed and A Greener Future. She is committed to helping people and the environment during a time of ecological and economical crisis.
David Hedges
Head of Housing
Woodknowledge Wales
David joined the team in 2018 with 30 years’ experience of the social housing and environmental sectors in Wales. He ran his own freelance consultancy for ten years, working mostly with housing associations. He previously worked with Community Housing Cymru, Wales & West Housing and the Prince of Wales’ Committee. He lives in Carmarthenshire in a timber frame and timber clad home he built with his partner.
Tom Henderson
Forestry and Timber Supply Chains
Woodknowledge Wales
Tom leads work on forestry and timber supply chains at Woodknowledge Wales, with a focus on how Welsh wood can support resilient local economies, better land use, and lower-carbon construction.
Tom has a background in forestry and environmental science, with research experience in life cycle assessment, ecosystem services, and spatial modelling of afforestation impacts. His recent work has explored how timber production, land-use change, environmental impacts, and ecosystem service benefits can be assessed together to support more informed decisions about where and how new productive woodland is established.
At Woodknowledge Wales, Tom works across research, stakeholder engagement, and sector development, supporting projects on timber availability, small sawmill capacity, productive forestry, local supply chains, and the role of Welsh timber in construction. He is particularly interested in how the forestry and timber sectors can be organised to deliver more value from Welsh wood while strengthening rural livelihoods and ecological resilience.
Heather Hulse
Training and Outreach Officer
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) UK
Heather Hulse is FSC UK’s Training and Outreach Officer, with experience spanning environmental conservation and further and higher education, she now works with FSC UK to develop outreach, engagement and training programmes.
Her specialism at FSC UK is varied covering responsible timber procurement in construction, the EU deforestation regulation (EUDR), and anti-greenwashing, and she is FSC UK’s Circularity Ambassador.
Meena Kamath
UK Networks Lead
Built by Nature
Meena is UK Networks Lead at Built by Nature, where she connects and convenes interdisciplinary leaders across the built environment to accelerate the transition to low-carbon, regenerative construction. Meena looks after Built by Nature’s UK strategy, amplifies knowledge and research from the network and advises the Fund team on UK grants.
Before joining Built by Nature, Meena was Head of Built Environment at The Chancery Lane Project. There, she built and convened industry communities, translated complex legal concepts into practical action, and helped embed climate-aligned approaches across established networks. She worked closely with organisations including UK Green Building Council and Better Buildings Partnership, and coordinated the Legal Working Group for the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.
Meena’s professional background is as a commercial real estate and real estate finance lawyer, having spent more than a decade at international law firms Linklaters and DLA Piper, advising on complex development and investment projects.
Clara Koehler
Design & Architecture
Woodknowledge Wales
Clara joined Woodknowledge Wales to familiarise herself with embodied carbon and explore new ways to become more proactive and help facilitate change within the construction industry towards better choices and design.
She has a background in architecture and urban design with professional experience particularly in the residential sector working across a variety of scales with housing associations, councils, volume housebuilders as well as private clients. Her broad background reflects her interest in the built environment as a setting for everyday life, which has led her on a quest to find ways to challenge standard solutions and traditional ways of working in order to make that ‘everyday’ sustainable for the planet in the long term.
Christiane Lellig
Regenerative Development | Independent advisor
Woodknowledge Wales
Christiane Lellig focuses on societal transformation and regenerative approaches from a living systems perspective. Christiane has been working on social change programmes in Switzerland, Germany and the UK since 1999 ranging from environmental concerns to labour and social justice issues. From 2016-2020 she was responsible for the UK timber industry’s Wood for Good campaign. Her particular interests lie in questions around resilience, society in transition, land-use, forestry, biodiversity, housing and transport. Christiane holds a postgraduate degree in Social Sciences from the University of Göttingen, Germany. She is a member of the regenerative practitioners network affiliated with Regenesis Institute for Regenerative Practice.
Dr Paul Newman
Technical Director
Structural Timber Association (STA)
Paul has recently joined the Board of the STA at a critical time for the sector where there is a clear opportunity for growth in the use of timber-based methods of construction with strong sustainability credentials but also significant technical challenges.
Paul has 30 years’ experience within the timber and construction industries following time as a lecturer at London Guildhall University. Paul has also held senior roles at Kingspan Group plc leading pioneering projects that delivered high performance homes at scale.
Phil O’Leary
Director
Filros Timber Consultancy
Phil is Director of Filros Timber Consultancy which provides specialist independent consultancy across the timber sector. Previously he was head of Timber Consultancy at BM TRADA, the technical authority behind TRADA. With over 30 years of post-qualifying experience working with timber across design, specification, structural grading and in-service performance, Phil has published in local and international journals about wood science.
Phil’s background combines formal wood science expertise, decades of applied industry experience, leadership in standards and organisations and specialises in:
- condition surveys of historic buildings, performance assessments and determining the structural strength of timber in many situations
- timber quality, performance characteristics, deterioration and preservation
- serving as an expert witness in establishing the causes of timber failures
- developing and presenting highly regarded topical and bespoke training courses on a range of timber subjects.
Phil is chairman of BSI’s Wood Preservation Committee and a member of the Wood Protection Association’s Technical, Environmental and Regulatory Affairs Committee. He is also Chair of the Woodknowledge Wales Board.
Dr Andy Pitman MSc, BSc, CTLHE, Fellow IOM3
Principal Timber Consultant
Filros Timber Consultancy
Wood scientist Andy Pitman specialises in understanding the performance of wood in service. He holds a Masters in Forest Industries Technology and completed his PhD with the Mary Rose Trust investigating the conservation archaeological timbers.
A Fellow of the IOM3 and past Chairman of the Wood Technology Society, Andy worked with BM TRADA in research, development and testing of timber products including modified woods and is author of TRADA’s Wood Information Sheet on Modified Wood. He is a member of the Wood Protection Association’s Technical Committee and was a member of the British Standards Committee dealing with British and European standards relating to wood protection.
Andy has worked across the supply chain, delivering CPD training to architects and engineers on behalf of the RIBA, Wood for Good and TRADA. Prior to working with Filros Timber Consultancy, he worked in R&D for a start-up LIGNIA for four years developing a resin impregnated modified timber which has provided experience in working with resin and adhesive providers and laminators in the UK and Europe, working with investors and commissioning testing services from Europe and North America.
Andy is trained to visually strength grade softwoods and hardwoods and CQI IRCA ISO 9001:2015, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and PEFC Lead Auditor. He also routinely undertakes visual inspections of the quality of timber products for UK timber merchants.
Dr Dan Ridley-Ellis
Head, Centre Wood Science and Technology
Edinburgh Napier University
Dan Ridley-Ellis leads research in Wood Science and Technology at Edinburgh Napier University. He is one of the UK’s technical experts on guessing the strength of wood and can talk for hours on the topic – which he frequently does if nobody stops him.
His main area of research is understanding the properties of wood, and how they are influenced by tree growth, forest management, and climate. He represents the UK at European Standards Committees for grading of construction timber, and the majority of structural sawn timber produced in the UK is now graded with settings he developed. He is convenor of CEN TC124 WG2 TG1, which is the group of strength grading experts that approves new machine grading settings in Europe and visual grading assignments for EN1912. He has also been working on how the next generation of standards can support tree species diversification and reuse of structural timber.
Rupert Scott MIFireE
Director and General Secretary
FTSG (trade body for UK fire test laboratories)
Rupert’s career has involved timber, fire or both for over 35 years. He spent a large proportion of this running the marketing and general management of TRADA. Other roles have given him experience in quality management, product development, production management, fire testing and consultancy, product certification and passive fire safety surveys of historic buildings.
He is launching a suite of new training courses to help construction product manufacturers navigate and prepare for the heightened regime that is coming in the wake of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. These courses will be offered through Woodknowledge Wales.
Dr Morwenna Spear
Research Fellow, BioComposites Centre
University of Wales, Bangor
Morwenna Spear trained in Forestry and Forest Products, then strengthened her interest in materials science by completing a PhD on natural fibre composites. She has maintained a strong interest in timber species, wood properties and the many engineered products formed from wood through her employment at the BioComposites Centre in Bangor University. The timber and bio-based materials industries have undergone enormous growth in interest, as the public seek sustainable, renewable and bio-based products. Her work has included value adding for less known species, wood modification, scale up of emerging technologies and fundamental investigations of moisture dynamics and viscoelasticity.
Morwenna is Chair of the Wood Technology Group of the IOM3 and she contributes wood science to the University taught courses to inspire the next generation of foresters and wood processors.
Emma Taylor
Architect and Research Associate
University of Bath
Emma Taylor is an architect and Research Associate at the University of Bath. After spending much of her career in architectural practice, she joined academia in 2024 to work on the Transforming Housing and Homes for Future Generations research project.
This project collaborates with residents, local authorities, and community partners to co-design the transformation of council-built housing dating from the 1920s to the 1940s. As part of the project, demonstration homes have been established in Bristol and Swansea to investigate place-based, community-led approaches to housing retrofit. The project also places a strong emphasis on the use of bio-based materials, with a range of bio-based retrofit solutions being implemented and evaluated within these demonstration homes.
Her interest in environmental sustainability and low-carbon design, led to her qualifying in 2019 as a Passivhaus Designer and in 2024 as a Retrofit Coordinator.
Dr Diana Waldron
Head of Built Environment
Woodknowledge Wales
Diana is focused on championing the use of timber, reclaimed building materials and other bio-based materials in constructions. She is also an accredited Passivhaus Designer and trained on the use of thermography and other techniques to assess building performance. An architectural engineer by training and early career, Diana completed her MSc on Environmental Design of Buildings, before completing her PhD where her doctoral research was an active part of the “Plants & Architecture” workpackage for the National Research Network for Low Carbon, Energy and Environment.
Sponsors and programme supporters
Creating inspiring places for people to live, learn, work, care, play and protect
Morgan Sindall Construction is a UK construction business operating through a network of local offices. Capabilities span the full range of construction activity, from special works and repair and maintenance to major landmark projects delivered independently or through long‑term frameworks. The business continues to challenge the status quo, to deliver lower carbon, regenerative assets that enhance the community.
FSC UK is a non-profit organisation, providing trusted solutions to help protect the world’s forests and tackle today’s deforestation, climate and biodiversity challenges. Its mission is to promote environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests. Its “tick tree” logo is found on millions of products worldwide, verifying responsible sourcing from the forest to shelf.
FSC’s pioneering system, covering more than 170 million hectares of forest, enables businesses and consumers to choose wood, paper and other forest products made with materials that support responsible forestry.
Exhibitors
We remain open to sponsor and exhibitor enquiries.
Celtic Offsite is a leading manufacturer of high-quality, sustainable timber frame homes, featuring factory-fitted insulation and windows.
FSC UK is a non-profit organisation, providing trusted solutions to help protect the world’s forests and tackle today’s deforestation, climate, and biodiversity challenges.
Lowfield Timber Frames specialise in providing high-quality, sustainable timber frame solutions for construction projects across the UK. With over 25 years of experience supplying their engineered timber products, Lowfield Timber Frames have earned a reputation for service, quality, and excellence in all areas.
Lowfield Timber Frames are committed to transforming the construction industry by promoting environmentally friendly building practices and reducing carbon footprints. Their mission is to deliver innovative, energy-efficient building systems while ensuring superior craftsmanship and client satisfaction. By focusing on sustainability, energy efficiency, and innovative building practices, Lowfield Timber Frames aims to help their clients create structures that stand the test of time while minimising environmental impact.
Rothoblaas is an Italian multinational with Alpine roots and an active presence in more than 70 countries.
Rothoblaas designs, manufactures and distributes solutions for timber and hybrid construction, suitable for both prefabrication and on-site assembly including, post-and-beam, timber frame and ventilated façades.
Their solutions cover fastening, airtightness, waterproofing, soundproofing, passive fire protection, safety at height, as well as machinery, equipment and technical consultancy.
Their mission is to make the best timber construction solutions available worldwide, adapting them to different building systems and local markets.
Rothoblaas’ vision is to promote timber construction that is accessible, safe and efficient.
Saint-Gobain is a global leader in light and sustainable construction. They manufacture industry-leading products and combine them into warranted systems which create better homes for people and planet – and using their country-wide network of committed experts, they deliver solutions to make the build as easy as possible.
SO Modular is a Wales based offsite manufacturing specialist delivering high quality timber frame and modular solutions across the UK. Operating from a net zero operational carbon manufacturing facility, the company designs, manufactures and erects sustainable, technically advanced construction solutions for residential, commercial and public sector projects.
Established in 1996, SO Modular combines in house technical expertise with precision manufacturing to deliver efficient, design led schemes with programme certainty. Continuous investment in innovation, sustainability and AI driven production tracking supports long term growth, improved efficiency and high quality outcomes for clients, communities and the environment.
The Structural Timber Association (STA) exists to represent the collective interests of their members. By providing confidence in the use of structural timber, the STA has a mission to increase specification across the construction industry. Supporting the objectives of the sector, the STA works to influence legislation and regulation.
Connecting construction professionals, the STA supports and collaborate with members to showcase the many benefits of structural timber. The STA provides exclusive benefits to members including their STA Assure Quality Assurance Scheme, research and testing, networking
Warmcel insulation is a high performance insulation for timber framed buildings, sustainably manufactured from recycled newspaper.
Tickets
| Full price | Early Bird* | |
| Two-day ticket | £275 + VAT | £175 + VAT |
| One-day ticket | £175 + VAT | £125 + VAT |
| WKW members (two-day pass with AGM) | £150 + VAT | £115 + VAT |
| Students** | £75 | n/a |
| Conference dinner (30 June) | £35 + VAT | n/a |
*Early bird ticket offer ends 30 April 2026.
** Limited availability. Please note: For student tickets only bookings made from an academic email address are accepted.
All tickets give access to both conference and exhibition.
How we get there
This year’s event will take place at University of South Wales, Trefforest, Pontypridd, Wales, CF37 1DL.
Arriving by train
Trains to Trefforest run regularly from Cardiff Central and Cardiff Queen Street stations, with typical journey times of 20 minutes.
Arriving by car
The visitors car park is located opposite the main campus.
