Innovation and Sustainability take centre stage at second day of Dubai WoodShow 2022

Innovation took centre stage at the second day of Dubai WoodShow 2022 which will continue until 17th March at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“The wood industry is constantly evolving and innovating, finding new ways to use wood to provide flexible, beautiful, sustainable solutions for the construction and design industry. Dubai WoodShow this year focuses on innovation with companies showcasing different ways the industry is continuing to innovate, challenge and change how we use wood,” said Dawood Al Shezawi, President, Strategic Conferences and Exhibitions, organizer of the show.

From modular toolkit designed to retrofit office spaces to recycled pallets and more, the show displayed some cutting-edge innovations, perfect to keep carbon isolated in the products out of the atmosphere for longer.  

The Portuguese Wood and Furniture Industries Association (AIMMP) led the conversation in innovation with 13 Portuguese companies participating at the show. A key spokesperson said, “The UAE market is extremely important for Portugal and, in particular, for the Wood and Furniture sector. We expect to consolidate this investment contributing for the continuous increase of the exportations for this market.”

Companies from different parts of the world showcased varied innovations and best-in-class products at the show. Teak products were a key highlight of the show. 

“Wood industry is come a long way. We at Ecotopia teak are known for sawn teak. Teak gets better with the age and our products have passed the quality control of the most demanding clients in Germany and Holland. In the second quarter of this year, our mill will be ready to dispatch highest qualities of the wood and sell it to UAE, Europe and USA. Approximately 10-15 % of the sawn volume can be sorted out for premium markets in UAE, European and US factories only. Our participation at this show has been a key platform to introduce our innovative products, as well as connect with distributors of sawn teak in the UAE and the Middle East region,” said Bianca Frieda Moran of Ecotopia.

Another company showcasing teak was Apical Reforestadora, S.A., a leading Panamanian reforestation company established in 2008, developing high quality plantations in balance with social and environmental objectives. 

“While our primary goal is to find new clients outside of India and find new clients in the Middle East or Europe, our secondary goal is to find direct customers in the Indian market, skipping the intermediaries. At Dubai Wood Show we are displaying our young plantation teak. This is high growth material with very nice grain. We envision that this can be used efficiently in carpentry and furniture manufacturing, amongst other higher and better uses than construction use in India. This is for the first time that we are participating at the show, and we expect to expand our contact network and find new potential clients for our products,” said Hannu Hietavita, CEO of Apical Reforestadora.