Current Market Landscape and Industry Voices in Key Timber Construction Markets
Libo Yan, Raoul Klingner, Ahmad Al‐Qudsi, Haoze Chen, Junaid Ajaz Dand
Abstract
The global timber construction market is experiencing steady growth, driven by increasing demand for sustainable building solutions, advancements in engineered timber technologies, and supportive policy frameworks. This study provides an overview of the global market for timber construction. Current status and industrial perspectives of the key timber construction markets from Australia, the United States, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, Germany, and the SUDOE region (Southwest France, Portugal and Spain) are discussed and summarized. It was found that key markets such as Europe, North America, and Australia are leading this shift in the construction of more timber buildings, with growing numbers of mid- and high-rise timber projects. Industry voices highlight both the opportunities, such as carbon reduction, reduced construction times, and timber design benefits, and the challenges, including supply chain limitations, cost competitiveness, building code restrictions, and a need for broader industry education. Collaboration across architects, engineers, developers, and policymakers is emphasized as essential to scaling mass timber adoption in mainstream construction practices.