About AFWI
Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) is a recently established national research institute committed to fulfilling the Australian Government’s promise of establishing a National Institute for Forest Products Innovation across the country. AFWI will receive over $100 million in funding from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) between 2022-23 and 2026-27.
AFWI headquarters is based at the University of Tasmania (UTAS), and has three regional research centres to undertake forestry research and development, including the AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures housed right here at the University of the Sunshine Coast. The two other Centres are based at the University of Melbourne, and UTAS.
Our Vision
In collaboration with industry and research leaders, our AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures focuses on innovation, sustainability, and efficiency in forestry and wood product sectors.
Our Centre's research focuses on three key goals:
- Growing the wood basket through improved utilisation of current resources
- Expanding the wood basket through new land management and afforestation strategies
- Developing innovative timber products for a carbon-friendly building sector
This research agenda aligns with the AFWI Strategy by directly contributing to:
• Sustainable forests and increased domestic wood supply
• Climate change mitigation through carbon-friendly materials
• Strengthening Australia’s wood products industry competitiveness
Research Areas and Projects
Objective:
Optimise the management of existing forests to increase sustainable timber production while enhancing opportunities to realise value in carbon and biodiversity.
Key Focus Areas:
- Tree improvement: Optimising plantation production through precision management combined with effective species and genetics matched to site and climate, for enhanced growth and resilience.
- Advanced Forest Management: Improving silvicultural techniques, thinning practices, and harvesting efficiencies.
- Resource Maximisation: Enhancing wood value recovery, segregation, and processing efficiency.
- Supply Chain Optimisation: Reducing carbon footprint and increasing logistics efficiency using digital technologies, AI, and automation.
- Forest Health & Risk Management: Managing pests, diseases, fire, and natural disaster resilience.
Aim:
Double the high value recovered timber yield from existing forest resources in the next rotation while enhancing resilience and additional asset values in carbon and biodiversity.
Objective:
Identify and promote sustainable opportunities for afforestation, agroforestry, and other land-use strategies that integrate timber production.
Key Focus Areas:
- Silvopastoral and Farm Forestry Systems: Exploring economically viable timber production models for agricultural and grazing landscapes.
- Tree improvement – Optimising timber production through precision management combined with effective species and genetics matched to site and climate, for enhanced growth and resilience.
- New Plantation Establishment Business and Economics: Identifying suitable regions, investment strategies, and management techniques to expand timber supply. Consider carbon and ecosystem service integration, exploring carbon sequestration and biodiversity co-benefits in timber production landscapes including how to efficiently & effectively measure, monitor, and monetise different values.
- First Nations Forestry Partnerships: Supporting Indigenous-led plantation development and sustainable land management.
Aim:
Reduce Australia's timber import dependence by 50% in the next rotation through the establishment of new, sustainably managed plantings that integrate timber production with agriculture and other land management activities.
Objective:
Enhance the performance and adoption of engineered wood products to support sustainable construction.
Key Focus Areas:
- Advanced Engineered Wood Products: Developing and testing new materials and structural solutions including hybrid and mixed material building components and systems.
- Sustainability in Construction: Supporting emissions reduction through timber-based building materials.
- Circular Economy Solutions: Optimising reuse, re-purposing, and recyclability of wood and other waste and residue materials.
- Digital & AI Integration in Timber Processing: Leveraging smart technologies to enhance production efficiency.
Aim:
Double the use of domestically sourced timber in the building industry by 2050 through greater resource recovery, and higher value use of residues and underutilised wood fibre.
Partners
Our newly appointed Steering Committee members who will help guide the Centre’s strategic direction:
|
Member |
Position |
Role |
|
Director, AFWIRCSF |
Chair |
|
|
General Manager, AFWIRCSF |
Secretariat |
|
|
Principal - Terrafolia Advisory |
Committee Member Industry Representative |
|
|
General Manager – Corporate Affairs, Hyne Group |
Committee Member Industry Representative |
|
|
Resources Manager, OneFortyOne |
Committee Member Industry Representative |
|
|
Forestry Group Leader, NT Government |
Committee Member Industry Representative |
|
|
R&D Manager, Australian Bluegum Plantations Pty Ltd |
Committee Member Industry Representative |
|
|
Professor – Environmental Science and Management, University of Southern Queensland |
Committee Member Research Leadership Representative |
|
|
Professor – School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland |
Committee Member Research Leadership Representative |
|
|
Director, Forestry and Biosciences RD&E, Agri-Science Queensland, Department of Primary Industries |
Committee Member Research Leadership Representative |
Our Centre's partners include:
- Queensland Department of Primary Industries
- University of Queensland
- New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
- Griffith University
- University of Southern Queensland
- Central Queensland University
- Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade
- James Cook University
- Queensland University of Technology
- Southern Cross University
Forests future: UniSC chosen to lead new research centre
A Queensland-based research collaboration, led by the University of the Sunshine Coast, has been selected to play a key role in advancing research and innovation in Australia’s forests, through a new national institute.
AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures Lead-in Projects Approved for Funding
Two of our AFWI Centre for Sustainable Futures initial lead-in projects have been signed off by the AFWI Research Advisory Committee and Board, with the following projects approved for funding.
Contact Us
For more information please visit our contact page for details.
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