News
🌳 Leipzig Science Club at HTWK Leipzig on the topic "Wood as a Resource – Uses, Potential, and Conflicts"🌲
LSC 1/2026
Published at 10.03.2026
An inspiring evening featuring insights into current research, interdisciplinary discussion, and networking opportunities!
Leaders from LSN member institutions, along with guests from academia, civil society, and politics, discussed wood—a sustainable resource that is equally important as a building material, carbon sink, and recreational space.
🪵 Prof. Dr. Alexander Stahr (HTWK / FLEX.Research) highlighted:
- Declining productivity in construction – the woodworking trades need acceleration and support. Automation, digitalization, and the use of AI are key levers for this.
- Buildings should be designed more flexibly for various uses, and wood should be consistently reused (e.g., from parking garage to residential building)—because even a renewable resource is finite.
🌿 Prof. Dr. Aletta Bonn (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) / German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig – iDiv / Friedrich Schiller University Jena) made it clear:
- The biodiversity and climate crises continue to advance despite political framework agreements.
- Urban green spaces have been proven to promote health
• Bird diversity increases life satisfaction.
• Trees right outside one’s front door have significant positive effects
• 20 minutes in the forest reduce stress—immediately!
- This health and social value of trees is still not taken into account enough.
📈 Prof. Dr. Martin Quaas (University of Leipzig / iDiv) added from an economic perspective:
- Wood has greater economic value as a CO2 sink than as a building material.
- Natural green spaces increase the satisfaction of entire neighborhoods—this is highly relevant from an economic standpoint.
💬 In the joint discussion, it became clear:
- The Central German economy does not currently reflect the full life cycle of wood utilization.
- Forests are becoming more diverse and biodiverse again. The timber industry is adapting. Nevertheless: We must learn to make do with less wood.
- Wood is not a suitable building material everywhere. It is particularly valuable in the residential and educational sectors.
- A promising field of research is the impact of childhood and youth experiences in and with nature on later life.
- Sustainable timber imports from abroad remain ecologically and economically sound.
The reception at the CreativeClub afterward provided an opportunity to engage in conversation and discuss the evening’s insights for deeper research collaboration.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to HTWK Leipzig for their hospitality, and especially to the Flex team and Dr. Franziska Böhl for their support in organizing the event.
An evening that demonstrated how science, urban development, and sustainability are considered together in Leipzig. 💙🌍
Leaders from LSN member institutions, along with guests from academia, civil society, and politics, discussed wood—a sustainable resource that is equally important as a building material, carbon sink, and recreational space.
🪵 Prof. Dr. Alexander Stahr (HTWK / FLEX.Research) highlighted:
- Declining productivity in construction – the woodworking trades need acceleration and support. Automation, digitalization, and the use of AI are key levers for this.
- Buildings should be designed more flexibly for various uses, and wood should be consistently reused (e.g., from parking garage to residential building)—because even a renewable resource is finite.
🌿 Prof. Dr. Aletta Bonn (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) / German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig – iDiv / Friedrich Schiller University Jena) made it clear:
- The biodiversity and climate crises continue to advance despite political framework agreements.
- Urban green spaces have been proven to promote health
• Bird diversity increases life satisfaction.
• Trees right outside one’s front door have significant positive effects
• 20 minutes in the forest reduce stress—immediately!
- This health and social value of trees is still not taken into account enough.
📈 Prof. Dr. Martin Quaas (University of Leipzig / iDiv) added from an economic perspective:
- Wood has greater economic value as a CO2 sink than as a building material.
- Natural green spaces increase the satisfaction of entire neighborhoods—this is highly relevant from an economic standpoint.
💬 In the joint discussion, it became clear:
- The Central German economy does not currently reflect the full life cycle of wood utilization.
- Forests are becoming more diverse and biodiverse again. The timber industry is adapting. Nevertheless: We must learn to make do with less wood.
- Wood is not a suitable building material everywhere. It is particularly valuable in the residential and educational sectors.
- A promising field of research is the impact of childhood and youth experiences in and with nature on later life.
- Sustainable timber imports from abroad remain ecologically and economically sound.
The reception at the CreativeClub afterward provided an opportunity to engage in conversation and discuss the evening’s insights for deeper research collaboration.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to HTWK Leipzig for their hospitality, and especially to the Flex team and Dr. Franziska Böhl for their support in organizing the event.
An evening that demonstrated how science, urban development, and sustainability are considered together in Leipzig. 💙🌍
Other news
