A centre of excellence for mass timber research, innovation and manufacturing has been launched by Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST).
Supported by Scottish Funding Council and host institution Edinburgh Napier University, the Innovation Campus at BE-ST will now house £1.5 million pounds of newly acquired, state-of-the-art mass timber post-processing equipment and SuperBlower extraction system.
This will complement existing capabilities and further enhance precision finishing, production capacity, and health and safety processes.
The Mass Timber Centre of Excellence will provide the UK construction and built environment sector with the facilities, knowledge, and connections to accelerate the adoption of UK-grown mass timber solutions and access the benefits these can bring, such as lowering carbon emissions associated with construction, strengthening local supply chains, creating jobs, and improving the efficiency of the delivery of the built environment.
The Mass Timber Centre of Excellence offers access to advanced mass timber manufacturing equipment, including a CNC machine and offering full-scale production of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), Nail Laminated Timber (NLT), and Glue Laminated Timber (Glulam). The factory is anticipated to have an annual manufacturing output capacity of approximately 8,000m³ once fully operational.
The UK faces the dual challenge of a climate emergency and a housing emergency. By advancing the use of mass timber, the Centre has been established to position the construction industry as a key part of the solutions to both challenges.
Mass timber is a category of engineered wood products made by compressing layers of timber to form large structural elements. Currently, the UK imports 73,000m3 of mass timber per year. By creating higher-value timber products in the UK, such as mass timber, and leveraging local supply chains, we can unlock significant economic and environmental benefits in the UK.
The Centre provides support to accelerate UK-grown mass timber adoption across the UK. As well as offering access to mass timber manufacturing equipment, the Centre offers research, innovation, and systems design support through partnerships with industry and academic experts to develop timber solutions; consultancy services to assist with product approvals, regulatory compliance, and manufacturing processes; and timber processing through trusted partners for felling, grading, kilning, and planing. Hands-on training and skills development can also be provided via the Centre to upskill the workforce in the expertise required to deliver mass timber products.
Sam Hart, Associate Director of Manufacturing and Housing at BE-ST, said: “The Mass Timber Centre of Excellence opens up huge opportunities for the construction sector. By investing in mass timber, we are not just advancing low carbon approaches to construction, we are also investing in economic growth, creating jobs, and addressing some of the UK’s key challenges.”
Stephen Good, CEO of BE-ST added: “The launch of this Centre will support the wider adoption of mass timber, helping to reduce carbon emissions, strengthen supply chains, and deliver much-needed domestic, non-domestic, public, and private infrastructure where appropriate, in a more efficient, affordable, higher quality and sustainable way.”
The Mass Timber Centre of Excellence is inviting businesses, policymakers, and construction professionals to explore the opportunities mass timber can offer, from adopting or manufacturing mass timber components or taking part in our skills programmes.
