What’s new

Through their participation in Gjøvik, NWC’s employees had many productive conversations with students who wanted to learn more about both job opportunities and collaboration related to thesis projects and internships. Several of our member companies had prepared short digital presentations that gave students insight into their businesses and the opportunities available in the industry. The students also had the chance to test their knowledge in a lighthearted quiz about wood and wood products. The prizes were, of course, made of wood and proved to be very popular.

An Important Meeting Place

Business Day is a valuable platform for our cluster companies, both to raise their profile as future employers and to showcase the expertise and opportunities available in the forest and wood-based value chain. The experience from this year’s event was positive, and we hope even more member companies will want to participate when Business Day is held next year.

Flindall holds a degree in architecture from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design and has a background in the nonprofit sector in the United Kingdom. She previously served as CEO of Oslotre AS and most recently held the position of group leader for wood structures at Sweco Norway.

The new cluster leader has long been deeply committed to the development of the wood industry and views the cluster as an important platform for strengthening the companies’ competitiveness.

Ensures a smooth transition

Berit Sanness will turn 69 this fall and notified the board over a year ago that she wished to step down as cluster leader in August 2026. Sanness will take on a less demanding role as senior advisor for the next year.

– “I am very pleased to be able to hand over the role of cluster leader to Ona. She will be a tremendous asset to the Norwegian Wood Cluster,” says Sanness.

Sanness will remain on board to ensure a smooth transition within the organization.

– “I’ll be working full-time for the rest of the year to assist Ona and complete the projects I’m leading. After that, the plan is to continue in a part-time position to oversee the standardization project through the first half of 2027,” says Sanness.

RAM Arkitektur AS was founded in Lillehammer in 2004 and has extensive experience with both public and private buildings. Its private projects have primarily involved commercial buildings, residential buildings, vacation homes, and tourism projects. In terms of public projects, RAM has designed kindergartens, schools, assisted living facilities, health centers, bus stations, and renovations of municipal and county administrative buildings.

Interdisciplinary and well-rounded expertise

“We have wide-ranging experience. Our projects vary greatly in size, typology, and complexity in both the private and public sectors,” says Hilde Grøneng, partner and architect at RAM arkitektur.

She explains that the firm has multidisciplinary expertise in architectural design, interior design, landscape architecture, and structural engineering.

– As part of the cluster, we can contribute both general professional expertise and specialized expertise. We have comprehensive expertise in wood architecture, and we have experience with reuse projects, transformation projects, and additions to existing residential projects. These are areas of growing importance, so we hope that our membership will help us further enhance our expertise, says Hilde Grøneng of RAM Architecture.

She is also looking forward to the networking opportunities that come with being part of the Norwegian Wood Cluster, which offers the chance to find partners for both innovation projects and construction projects.

Example of a transformation

At the professional conference organized by the Norwegian Wood Cluster for its expert groups “Future Building Solutions” and “Sustainability” at Mjøstårnet on August 27, Hilde Grøneng will present a proposal for a transformation that RAM Arkitektur has developed for Huntonhallen.

– The municipality of Gjøvik has decided to develop Gjøvikstranda into a park and recreational area. A major challenge is what to do with the industrial buildings on the site. We won this exciting commission from Gjøvik Municipality and have developed a proposal for how, instead of demolishing it, the old factory building can be transformed into a cultural venue. “I look forward to presenting the proposal at the cluster’s professional conference on August 27,” says Grøneng.

Valuable experience

Cluster Leader Berit Sanness welcomes RAM Arkitektur AS as a new member of the Norwegian Wood Cluster. She says it’s great to have another architecture firm join the cluster.

– “It’s very interesting that RAM Arkitektur has practical experience with, among other things, repurposing projects, transformation projects, and additions to existing residential projects. We know that this will become increasingly important in the future and that many of our members are interested in this,” says Sanness.

Formally, it is the board of Norwegian Wood Cluster SA that reviews applications for membership in the cluster. RAM Arkitektur AS was admitted as a member on June 23, 2026.

The Byggma Group has been indirectly involved in the Norwegian Wood Cluster through its largest subsidiary, Forestia AS, since its inception.

Byggma ASA has four factories, two pre-cut centers, and a lighting wholesaler in Norway; one factory and a lighting wholesaler in Sweden; and sales companies in Finland and the United Kingdom, which primarily manufacture wood-based products for the Nordic and European markets.

– By having the Byggma Group take over the membership, we are paving the way to participate even more actively in the cluster, particularly through collaboration on joint projects across the industry. This applies especially to key development areas such as standardization and sustainability, as well as documentation and further development of solutions in the fields of fire safety and acoustics, says Conrad Lehne Drangsland, CEO of Byggma ASA.

A nice gesture of appreciation

– “Forestia has been an active member of the Norwegian Wood Cluster ever since its founding in 2017. The fact that the entire Byggma Group is now taking over the membership is a nice recognition of the cluster’s work,” says cluster leader Berit Sanness.

The board of the Norwegian Wood Cluster approved the change in membership at its meeting on June 16. 2026.

The workshop was organized by DNB and the Norwegian Wood Cluster as part of the Interreg project Circular Bioeconomy Arena. In addition to DNB and the Norwegian Wood Cluster, representatives from Investinor, Innovation Norway, Dalerna Science Park, Sting Bioeconomy, Paper Province, and Klosser Innovation participated in the workshop.

Setting up a new fund?
The capital gap in the transition from the early stages to scaling up and internationalization is a challenge, and Norway appears to be weaker than Sweden in this regard.

The workshop highlighted the need to establish a new fund that can operate across the Norwegian-Swedish border. It emerged that DNB could play a role in establishing such a fund and raising capital for it, and that family-owned companies could be potential sources of capital.

The structure of a potential fund must be evaluated in greater detail. Among other things, it is necessary to clarify the fund’s mandate, the phases it will cover, and the investment criteria that will apply. Consideration should also be given to how a new fund can leverage the due diligence work conducted by innovation companies. Furthermore, through increased collaboration, more networking opportunities should be established to facilitate connections between companies and investors.

The dialogue continues
There was considerable interest in continuing the dialogue, and the Norwegian Wood Cluster undertook to facilitate this in close collaboration with DNB, which is an important member of the cluster.

In collaboration with Karriere Innlandet and Treteknisk, the Norwegian Wood Cluster offers targeted training programs for both apprentices and work-study students:

Vocational Certificate in Production Engineering and Logistics

Modular vocational certificate in production technology (PRT3103) and logistics (LOG3103) for employees in the woodworking industry. Application deadline: August 31

• Hybrid instruction (online and in person in Gjøvik)
• 12 collections
• For apprentices and interns
• Kick-off (Gjøvik): October 15
• Exam: May 2027
• Responsible: Karriere Innlandet
• Information Letter 2026
• Guidelines for Applying for an Assessment of Prior Learning

Digital Training in the Field of Lumber and Glulam Production

• Online course, 14 modules
• Monthly Sessions and Assignments
• Start Date: September 3 (Teams)
• Responsible: Treteknisk

Read more

Microlearning in the Workplace

• Short courses lasting 20–50 minutes
• Fields of study: logistics, production engineering, wood technology, etc.
• Responsible: Treteknisk

Read more

Contact person at NWC: Knut Amund Skatvedt

One of the Norwegian Wood Cluster’s goals is to help increase companies’ export value by 40 percent by 2035, compared to 2024 levels. As expected, the results of this spring’s member survey show significant variation in companies’ interests and needs regarding internationalization.

Several of the cluster’s member companies already have significant export operations and their own sales teams, while others have no plans to export. However, there are several companies that have clear ambitions and are seeking concrete, practical assistance. The cluster will now make an offer to these companies.

Contribute to international growth

Interested member companies are now invited to express their interest in joining the cluster’s new Internationalization Working Group.

The plan is for Norwegian Wood Cluster will develop and offer its own an internationalization program for interested companies in the professional group. The draft program will be based, among other things, on the responses to the member survey and will be presented at the professional group’s kickoff meeting in August. Innovation Norway provides SME support for such an internationalization program.

Practical and results-oriented

Project Manager Knut Amund Skatvedt says the program is designed to be practical and results-oriented

“The goal is to drive real progress and set companies up for success, not just to increase awareness,” says Skatvedt.

The preliminary plans are that thethe work will focus on:

• Export Strategy and Strategic Market Selection

• Specific entry strategies for new markets

• Building Networks and Partnerships

• Experience-based learning and knowledge sharing

To achieve this, experienced member companies that have already achieved international success will be invited to share their practical advice and case studies with companies in the start-up phase.

Close ties to leading academic communities

In addition to sharing experiences within the cluster, NWC will actively engage its strategic partners. This will make it easier for companies to access relevant support measures:

• Innovation Norway: Provides market insights, consulting services, and access to international networks.

• Eksfin: Provides financing solutions and risk-mitigation measures.

• Treteknisk: Brings solid industry expertise and professional expertise to the table.

• Kristiania University College: Provides cutting-edge expertise in strategy, marketing, and business development.

Kickoff on August 26

There are plans to bring together the participating companies for a kickoff meeting on August 26. The goal is to clarify shared ambitions and needs, identify specific market opportunities, and determine which initiatives should be prioritized in the internationalization program.

At the kick-off event, we will also receive information about Innovation Norway’s services.

– The event has a clear focus on sharing experiences, addressing specific challenges, and identifying the next steps in each company’s internationalization process. “The goal is for the kick-off to provide a solid foundation for the work ahead—and to help ensure rapid progress,” says project manager Knut Amund Skatvedt.

The kick-off event marks not only the launch of the expert group, but also an important step in NWC’s efforts to strengthen the cluster’s international competitiveness. The experience gained here will ultimately benefit more member companies.

Would you like to join us?

The task force will consist of a small group of member companies with specific goals. The insights gained here will be shared over time, so that the entire cluster can benefit from them. Project Manager Knut Amund Skatvedt will assist in developing and implementing the internationalization program, while Cluster Manager Berit Sanness will manage the expert group for the time being.

If you missed the member survey and would like information about internationalization, please contact:

Interregprosjektet Circular Bioeconomy Arena arrangerte nylig en studietur til København. Under turen møtte de svenske og norske deltakerne interessante eksempler på hvordan danskene leverer på reduserte klimafotavtrykk gjennom moderne trebyggeri og sirkulære løsninger. Ett av besøkene som gjorde sterkt inntrykk var den nye bydelen Fælledby som er under utvikling.

Fælledby – målrettet og visjonært

København kommune, via utviklingsselskapet By & Havn, og Pension Danmark eier Fælledby-prosjektet. Den tidligere søppelplassen til København utvikles nå til en ny bydel, og det vil bli en kombinasjon av salg og utleie av ca. 2000 boliger samt skole, barnehager, eldreboliger og næringsarealer. Ferdig utviklet vil Fælledby bestå av tre nabolag og dekke et 18 hektar stort område. Planleggingen startet opp i 2020 og skal fullføres innen 2032.

Henning Larsen Architects har utviklet masterplanen for området, som vil utvikles i tre etapper over en tiårsperiode. Utviklingen av Fælledby har lagt stor vekt på bærekraft og lavt karbonfotavtrykk.

– Visjonen for Fælledby er å skape tre nabolag som passer sammen, og der hver bolig har utsikt til natur. Fælledby er det eneste store grønne området igjen i København. I masterplanen har vi optimalisert plassering av boligene med tanke på vind, utsikt til natur og dagslystilgang, sier arkitekt Jakob Strømann-Andersen, Henning Larsen Architects.

Innenfor masterplanen er utviklingen av området fordelt på flere arkitektkontor, og Pension Danmark har krevd at de store arkitektkontorene må ha med et lite arkitektkontor som «lærling». Det har store og små arkitektkontor glede av.

Tester løsningene

– Ansvarlig materialvalg, ressursbruk og energiløsninger, og utsikt til natur er vektlagt, sier Fælledbys kommunikasjonssjef Simon Madsen.

– Vi har bygd et midlertidig testbygg for å presentere de ulike løsningene som er utviklet for Fælledby. Disse må testes og godkjennes før de tas i bruk, samtidig som det midlertidige bygget brukes som byggekontor og informasjonslokale, sier Madsen.

Svarer på danske klimakrav

I 2023 ble det innført klimakrav i dansk bygningsreglement, med en skjerping av grenseverdiene hvert 2. år frem til 2030. Klimakravet fra 1. juli 2025 er på 7,5 kg CO₂ pr m² for etasjeboliger og næringsbygg.

– Selv om tre er valgt som hovedmateriale i Fælledby som følge av klimakravene, brukes det betong under bakken, og det forårsaker høye CO₂-utslipp som følge av både utgravingen og materialbruken, men det kommer vi ikke utenom, sier arkitekt Jakob Strømann-Andersen, Henning Larsen Architects.

– I tillegg til at CO₂-kravene gjør tre viktig, vil vi også gjerne ha synlig tre, og dette har vi lagt vekt på under utviklingen av Fælledby, sier Strømann-Andersen. Han forteller at under utviklingen av bydelen bygger man kontinuerlig på erfaringene som gjøres, for å forbedre løsningene og redusere klimafotavtrykket

– Vi startet med et utslipp på 8 kg CO₂ pr m². Nå er vi nede på 6,1 kg CO₂ pr m² i de seneste etasjeeiendommene, sier Strømann-Andersen.

The Norwegian Wood Cluster held its annual meeting and subsequent shareholders’ meeting at Prøysenhuset on April 28, 2026. There was unanimous support for all items on the agenda and a positive atmosphere among the delegates.

Following the elections, the Norwegian Wood Cluster has the following elected representatives:

Board of Directors

Chair of the Board: Jan Tore Meren (independent)

Vice Chair Magne Vikøren (Moelven Industrier ASA)
Alternate: Vera Flatebø (Moelven Industrier ASA)

Board Member Tarje Braaten (Dynea AS)
Personal Representative: Hans Olav Wedvik (SpareBank1 Østlandet)

Board Member Kristian Hanssen (Forestia AS)
Personal representative: Jan Helge Nordby (Statskog SF)

Board Member Glenn André Jensen (Bergene Holm AS)
Personal representative: Marthe Lie (ARE Treindustrier AS)

Board Member Line Brynhildsen Løvli (Stangeskovene AS)
Personal representative: Jørn Nørstelien (Gausdal Treindustrier SA)

Board Member Øyvind Moshagen (Norconsult Innlandet Region)
Personal representative: Jørn Reiner (Kontur Arkitekter AS)

Board Member Lone Ross (NIBIO)
Personal representative: Audun Øvrum (Treteknisk)

Board Member Katrine Gilje Aalstad (Innsikt)
Alternate: Vibeke Tronrud Teslo-Andersen (Viken Skog SA)

Nominating Committee

Chair Mads S. Lo (DNB Bank ASA)
Personal representative: Lars Storslett (Moelven Industrier ASA)

Vice Chair Anita Ihle (Glommen Mjøsen Skog SA)
Personal representative: Per Morten Wangen (Stangeskovene AS)

Member Morten L. Johansen (Splitkon AS)
Personal Representative: Eva Skagestad (Skogkurs)

A Changing World

KPMG’s 2026 CEO Report kicked off the program. The report is based on interviews with CEOs of some of Norway’s largest companies and addresses global uncertainty, technological changes, and the need for transformation to ensure competitiveness.

“We need enlightened, decisive, and innovative leaders more than ever to face this new reality,” said Stein Erik Lund, chairman of KPMG.

– Sustainability is still described as business-critical, even though the debate has died down somewhat. In these discussions, sustainability is highlighted as a competitive advantage, but there are calls for more political will and a faster pace in the transition, said Thore Kleppen.

“We are currently experiencing significant geopolitical uncertainty in the global market, with war in Europe, war in Gaza, and now war in the Middle East. The result is substantial fuel surcharges on shipping, and, for example, we are unable to ship goods to customers in the Middle East,” said Withbro-Svendsen.

A challenging market marked by significant uncertainty

Bergene Holm has significantly increased its production in recent years and currently exports half of its output. At the shareholders’ meeting, Marius Withbro-Svendsen, Export Sales Manager, explained how the global situation is affecting the company.

– There is no doubt that the construction industry is facing a very challenging situation, struggling with higher input costs and high interest rates. During the pandemic, we saw how increased competition for raw materials in Norway caused lumber prices to rise sharply. Although prices are on the decline, the average price is still too high for sawmills to achieve sufficient profitability, said Withbro-Svendsen.

“We are currently experiencing significant geopolitical uncertainty in the global market, with war in Europe, war in Gaza, and now war in the Middle East. The result is substantial fuel surcharges on shipping, and, for example, we are unable to ship goods to customers in the Middle East,” said Withbro-Svendsen.

Brutal Consequences

CEO Tarje Braaten discussed the impact of the international situation on Dynea and its customers.

– “We define Dynea as part of the wood processing value chain. Dynea supplies adhesives to the wood industry both in Norway and to customers throughout Europe,” said Tarje Braaten.

The situation in the Middle East, with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, is directly affecting Dynea.

– The raw materials Dynea uses are largely based on natural gas or oil, and we are now experiencing sharp price increases for input costs and shipping. Dynea’s raw material prices have risen so much that we have had to raise our prices for our customers. “We understand that this is challenging in an industry where our customers often have long-term price agreements with their own customers,” said Tarje Braaten.

Measures to Strengthen Competitiveness

The Norwegian Wood Industry Association plays a key role in promoting the industry’s views on policy measures to the authorities. At the meeting, Acting Executive Director Tina Sletbak-Akerø of the Norwegian Wood Industry Association provided an overview of the most important industrial policy issues the organization is currently addressing.

– The Norwegian wood products industry and the construction sector are heavily influenced by the macroeconomic landscape. Predictability has all but disappeared. “We now need measures to get housing construction underway, and the industry must be involved at an early stage in these projects in order to develop effective solutions that increase productivity and reduce costs,” says Sletbak-Akerø.

– The wood industry supports the introduction of climate requirements in TEK17, but is concerned that all phases of the life cycle be included in the calculations. “We must also make greater use of the buildings we have already constructed through reuse, renovation, energy efficiency improvements, and additions,” said Sletbak-Akerø.

The Journey of the Byggma Group

Conrad Lehne Drangsland, CEO of Byggma ASA, explained how a strong willingness to embrace change has yielded results for the group.

– Over the past 30 years, Byggma has acquired or purchased equity stakes in a number of companies that have complemented its business, making the group a leading supplier and manufacturer of wood-based building materials in the Nordic region today. “However, management is not a popularity contest, so it has also been necessary to close down some businesses during the same period,” said Drangsland.

– “The Group has a ‘hands-on’ ownership style with short decision-making chains that emphasize building a strong corporate culture. We are also committed to investing in people, machinery, and R&D,” said Conrad Lehne Drangsland.

Adapting to New Products and Markets

Steinar Lyseng, CEO of Vyrk Innovasjon AS and Vyrk AS, explained how the company has reinvented itself by developing new products and positioning itself in new markets.

Vyrk has acquired companies that complement its core production in Rogne, enabling it to deliver complete wall solutions.

“Among other things, we’ve developed a patented solution that makes it possible to dismantle and move interior walls in office buildings,” says Lyseng.

– Another example is that we take in ceiling panels, perforate them, and deliver solutions with improved acoustics.