The development of engineered wood materials not only opens up opportunities to enhance the added value of products but also helps the Vietnamese wood industry participate more deeply in the global value chain.

Ample potential

Experts assess that with the existing development advantages of the wood industry, the engineered wood segment is gaining opportunities to increase product value. Nguyen Phuong, Chairman of the Dong Nai Wood and Handicraft Association, observed that the Vietnamese wood industry has undergone more than two decades of robust growth. From an export turnover of less than 1 billion USD in 2003, this figure rose to 16.7 billion USD by 2025. However, contrasting with that growth momentum, the profit margins of wood enterprises are gradually narrowing under competitive pressures and increasingly high sustainable development requirements worldwide. Within the context of green construction trends and carbon emission reduction becoming global priorities, engineered wood is emerging as a strategic material for modern construction.

Similarly, Pham Duc Thieng, a forestry research expert from the international organization Forest Trends and author of the draft research report "Assessing the Potential and Opportunities for Developing the Market of Engineered Wood Materials in Construction," stated that as the global construction industry shifts strongly toward low-emission development models, engineered wood materials are increasingly viewed as a potential alternative to concrete and steel in various types of structures.

Mr. Thieng cited that many countries in Europe, North America, and Asia have heavily promoted the use of engineered wood in residential buildings, hotels, schools, offices, and even high-rises. Unlike traditional wood, engineered wood materials are manufactured using modern technology, possessing high load-bearing capacity, dimensional stability, and the ability to meet strict technical requirements.

In Vietnam, the wood industry operates on a large scale but mainly focuses on indoor furniture and manufacturing based on custom orders, while the field of engineered wood materials serving construction remains in its infancy. Within the construction sector, the factor of "green consumption" is gradually taking shape. Consumers are paying attention to health, the environment, and product origin, alongside an increasing capacity to pay. Therefore, future wood products, especially Vietnamese engineered wood, will have more opportunities to increase their market share domestically and globally.

Removing barriers to develop the engineered wood sector

Vietnam's advantage lies in possessing a massive source of plantation forest raw materials. Up to 2025, the entire country hosted nearly 4.9 million hectares of plantation forests with common tree species such as acacia, rubber, pine, and eucalyptus.

Vo Quang Ha, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Structural Wood Association (SAWA) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tan Vinh Cuu Joint Stock Company (Long Binh Ward, Dong Nai City), assessed that as global carbon emission policies tighten, low-emission materials like wood are gaining opportunities to become a competitive choice in the construction industry, particularly when accessing high-standard markets. Promoting the use of domestic plantation wood not only increases economic value but also contributes to protecting forest resources and sustainable development.

However, the majority of the current plantation forest area is still harvested in short cycles to serve wood chip production. This results in small-diameter wood logs containing many knots and a high susceptibility to warping, which fail to properly meet the production requirements for high-quality structural products. The local workforce of engineers and architects still lacks experience in modern timber structures, multi-material connection processing, soundproofing, or moisture control for buildings. In training and research fields, universities have not fully integrated content regarding timber structural design or modern engineered wood technology.

The biggest barrier at present lies within the system of standards and legal frameworks. Although Vietnam possesses several standards related to laminated wood or multi-layer wood, it still lacks a comprehensive set of standards for designing, executing, erecting, and inspecting structures that utilize structural mass timber. Vietnam has also not established a wood strength grading system equivalent to international standards, such as Europe's EN or the United States' ASTM. This gap in standards and certifications not only drives up investment and testing costs but also forces enterprises to rely heavily on foreign certifications, thereby limiting competitiveness and the ability to participate deeper in the global value chain.

Pham Duc Thieng suggested that for engineered wood materials to become a highly potential new industry, Vietnam needs a synchronized development strategy ranging from perfecting the legal framework and technical standards. In parallel, it is essential to invest in research and training while strengthening linkages among the forestry, wood processing, and construction industries to form a complete value chain for the engineered wood sector in the future.

According to experts, for engineered wood to gain further highlights and symbols in the future, Vietnam needs to build demonstration structures or pioneering projects utilizing engineered wood to generate market confidence.

However, the majority of the current plantation forest area is still harvested in short cycles to serve wood chip production. This results in small-diameter wood logs containing many knots and a high susceptibility to warping, which fail to properly meet the production requirements for high-quality structural products. The local workforce of engineers and architects still lacks experience in modern timber structures, multi-material connection processing, soundproofing, or moisture control for buildings. In training and research fields, universities have not fully integrated content regarding timber structural design or modern engineered wood technology.

The biggest barrier at present lies within the system of standards and legal frameworks. Although Vietnam possesses several standards related to laminated wood or multi-layer wood, it still lacks a comprehensive set of standards for designing, executing, erecting, and inspecting structures that utilize structural mass timber. Vietnam has also not established a wood strength grading system equivalent to international standards, such as Europe's EN or the United States' ASTM. This gap in standards and certifications not only drives up investment and testing costs but also forces enterprises to rely heavily on foreign certifications, thereby limiting competitiveness and the ability to participate deeper in the global value chain.

Pham Duc Thieng suggested that for engineered wood materials to become a highly potential new industry, Vietnam needs a synchronized development strategy ranging from perfecting the legal framework and technical standards. In parallel, it is essential to invest in research and training while strengthening linkages among the forestry, wood processing, and construction industries to form a complete value chain for the engineered wood sector in the future.

Vương Thế

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