Scots innovation centre tie-up to help UK timber sector reach new heights

● Deal gives timber firms access to CSIC resources to promote technical advances

An industry-led Scottish innovation centre is joining forces with a trade body to drive technical advances in the UK timber sector.

Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) and the Structural Timber Association (STA) have formed a strategic partnership which aims to help structural timber businesses across the UK innovate and grow.

CSIC facilitates collaboration between businesses, universities and the public sector to boost innovation and productivity, while trade organisation STA represents more than 600 timber businesses nationwide.

The partnership will build on the existing relationship between the two organisations, formed through several collaborative projects involving the STA and members such as CCG, Stewart Milne Group and Scotframe, which CSIC has already supported.

Under the agreement, STA members are to receive access to a series of industry events hosted by CSIC, discounted use of the centre’s South Lanarkshire-based Innovation Factory, and support in adopting a building information management (BIM) model.

This follows the announcement of the Roots for Further Growth strategy, an initiative announced last year to double the forestry and timber industry’s contribution to the Scottish economy to £2 billion annually by 2030. Stephen Good, chief executive at CSIC, which is supported by Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and 13 university partners, said: “CSIC is keen to develop partnerships with organisations like the STA, whose objectives align with our own, because we know that by collaborating, we can deliver greater support to groups of construction businesses to help them innovate and grow.

“Formalising our existing relationship with the STA will offer greater opportunities for structural timber companies to participate in innovation activity and collaborate with client bodies, supply chain partners, public sector and academia.”

Alex Goodfellow, vice chair of the STA, added: “Our alliance with the CSIC is testament to the very progressive and forward-thinking approach of our industry.

“Along with championing and supporting innovation, our partnership will ensure that products, practices and buildings are robustly tested, that performance is well understood and evidenced to maximise the benefits of technically advanced timber systems and offer assurances to clients and end-users.”