An information trip to Germany on wood construction organized by the Belgian-Luxemburg-German Chamber of Commerce!

From 15th to 17th of May 2023, the Belgian-Luxemburg-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK debelux) organises an information trip to Germany on wood construction (CLT/BLC) in cooperation with the Belgian clusters VIBE and éco-construction.

Since 2015, the number of green building projects in Belgium has steadily increased. Builders, architects and project developers are increasingly interested in alternatives to conventional building solutions, especially because all new buildings in Belgium are to be built energy neutral as of 2021, according to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). Interest in timber frame construction is also growing in Belgium and offer many advantages such as its variety of applications, its fast construction time and its cost-effectiveness.

Germany, with its approximately 5,000 artisanal and industrial manufacturers of timber frame buildings, is one of Europe's pioneers in timber construction, especially in timber construction for prefabricated houses. With a forest area of 11.4 million hectares, i.e. almost one third of its total area, Germany is one of the most forested countries in Europe. In 2020, the German wood and furniture industry achieved a total turnover of around 42.37 billion euros.

Belgium is Germany's most important trading partner and Germany is the third most important buyer of Belgian timber.

Due to rising energy prices for private households and the increasing environmental awareness of the population, a growing demand in the timber frame and prefabricated timber construction sector is expected in both Germany and Belgium. Prefabricated building elements, including those made of wood or wood composites, are also increasingly in demand on the market.

Programme

The information trip includes visits to a sawmill, a model building, a building materials company, a wood production facility in North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as a visit to LIGNA, the world’s leading trade fair for woodworking and wood processing plant, machinery and tools in Hanover.

The aim is to bring together Belgian and German wood sector professionals and to promote the exchange of expertise and the creation of potential partnerships in the field of construction, including all the necessary steps for CLT, GLT and timber frame.

Registration

The project is meant for Belgian firms that are active in the wood or timber construction sector, such as:

• Manufacturers and builders of prefabricated modular CLT / GLT timber frame houses
• Architects and construction planners
• Building engineers
• Suppliers of roofing, window and door technology and other actors, e.g. buyers
• Sales representatives and multipliers

Advance registration is required. The registration fee is estimated at 350 € per participant, including the visits and the two nights’ accommodation in a hotel with breakfast. Apart from your evening meal on Monday evening and your individual travel to and from Aachen Central Station (we will depart from there on 15.05.2023), there are no other costs.

Please register via our online registration form.

The business trip is part of the market development programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) initiated by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Change and organised by the Belgian-Luxembourg-German Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Chambers of Crafts and Trades of Cologne and Aachen.