The forestry industry is a strategic element in Galicia for the sustainable economic development of rural areas. In 2021, the figures showed an upward trend, reaching a volume of 9.9 million cubic metres of industrial wood felled and a turnover of €2.5 billion.

The data show that forestry is a key sector for a greener Galicia, since wood is a renewable, biodegradable raw material that is gaining popularity for new uses. One proof is that, in the last year, construction using wood and the production of new biomass materials for industrial use and construction rose. The most representative example is cross-laminated timber (CLT), which is being used more frequently as a sustainable alternative to concrete.

A sustainable agenda

According to Xera, the Xunta de Galicia’s Agency for the Forestry Industry, 50% of the timber being cut in Spain comes from forests in Galicia and in 2020 industrial jobs in the forest-wood value chain reached 12% in Galicia. This situation places the sector at the heart of a development agenda based on reinforcing a greener, more sustainable growth model.

According to Francisco Conde, the second vice president and Regional Minister of Economy, Enterprise and Innovation, the new 2022-2024 Agenda for the Promotion of the Forestry Industry, with a budget of €55.5 million, results from the collective awareness of all the parties involved of the need for “a qualitative leap in terms of competitiveness, diversification, sustainability and training”. All this will be achieved by CIS Madeira (the Galician Centre for Wood Innovation and Technological Services) with the implementation of training programmes to improve the professional qualifications of employees and the promotion of constant updating. This new plan, in addition to benefiting 700 companies in three years, will promote new uses for wood and encourage the transformation of the sector.

In fact, in an increasingly competitive and efficient scenario when it comes to the optimization of raw materials, Galicia, number nine in Europe in the forestry industry, expects to achieve the mobilisation of €140 million to modernise the sector and to have 25,000 jobs by 2024 thanks to this Agenda.

Diversification and the circular economy

The 2022-2024 Agenda for the Promotion of the Forestry Industry focuses its efforts on diversifying the construction, design and textile industries, among others. This line of action is supported by the Galicia Wood and Design Cluster, which defends the versatility of this material and its different solutions for construction.

In this context, and in its bid to use wood under a more sustainable construction model, the Xunta de Galicia has approved €1.6 million in aid for 89 houses and 19 commercial premises. Furthermore, Conde considers wood to be an essential factor in the circular economy “both for its sustainable production process and its renewable nature”.

Innovation projects applying for Next Generation European funds

Wood is one of the most important raw materials in the transition towards a green economy and, therefore, the Galician Regional Government considers the sector to be a strategic candidate for Next Generation European funds. One outstanding candidate is Tech Madera. The company intends to create a pilot plant for new sustainable materials derived from wood that can be used in the naval and automotive sectors or the textile industry, among others. The application also includes initiatives for digitisation and construction using local wood.

However, it is the planned textile fibres factory that most stands out among the candidates for the European recovery funds for the forestry industry. Altri’s project in Palas de Rei will involve an investment of over €800 million and lead to the creation of 2,500 direct and indirect jobs.