The 74th International Softwood Conference gets under way in Dublin today, October 28, bringing together sawmill operators, timber traders, industry representatives and market analysts for two days of discussions on international softwood markets. The sold-out event opens with a programme of visits and networking, ahead of the main conference on Thursday, October 29, at the Grand Hotel in Malahide.
GWMI will attend the conference and report from Dublin on the market presentations and industry discussions.
Hosted by the timber trade in Ireland together with the European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS) and the European Timber Federation (ETTF), the conference will examine production, consumption and trade across major softwood markets. The organisers have placed particular emphasis on how changing economic conditions, geopolitical developments and policy decisions are affecting sawmillers and timber traders.
The programme combines regional market assessments with sessions on raw-material availability, construction and global demand. It will give delegates an opportunity to compare conditions across Europe, North America and overseas export destinations as companies prepare for 2027. Conference materials will include country-level production and consumption figures, economic information and market trends.
European trade and sawmilling perspectives
Thursday’s conference begins at 08:45, moderated by Paul Brannen, with a welcome address by Niall Collins. Hazel Ahern-Flynn will then present the economic outlook, followed by Morten Bergsten with the ETTF perspective and Tommi Sneck with the EOS assessment.
Ahern-Flynn is senior economist at Ibec, Ireland’s business representative organisation, where she advises companies and sectoral organisations and co-authors its quarterly economic outlook. Bergsten, ETTF’s softwood chair, brings nearly four decades of experience in softwood imports and exports and chairs Bergsten Timber. Sneck combines his role as EOS president with that of sawmill industry director at Finnish wood products manufacturer Koskisen.
Their presentations will provide the economic and industry context for the country assessments that follow, covering the position of both European producers and the timber trade.
North America, Ireland and UK imports
The next session covers the United States, Canada, Ireland and UK imports, with presentations by Marc Brinkmeyer, Jérôme Pelletier, Mike Glennon and Stephen King, respectively. A question-and-answer session will follow before the lunch break.
Brinkmeyer is owner and chairman of Idaho Forest Group, with sawmill operations in the US Northwest and South. Pelletier is vice president of the sawmills division at J.D. Irving and has extensive experience in operations, sales and market development.
Glennon, joint managing director of Glennon Brothers, represents a business active in timber processing, timber-frame manufacturing and green energy. King, UK project manager for Swedish Wood, previously held senior positions at SCA Wood and has more than 40 years of experience in the softwood industry.
The North American presentations are expected to address a market shaped by housing demand, Canadian exports, trade measures and production adjustments. The UK session will be of particular interest to European exporters supplying the British construction and timber markets.
Russia, Japan and the Middle East
After lunch, attention turns to Russia, Japan and the Middle East. Antti Koskinen of AFRY Management Consulting will present the Russian market, Hiroki Hayashi of Sumitomo Forestry Europe will cover Japan, and Franz Kropfreiter of DABG Vienna will discuss the Middle East.
These presentations will allow delegates to compare markets with different positions in international timber trade: Russia as a major producing country, Japan as an established destination for imported softwood, and the Middle East as a market linked to construction and infrastructure demand.
Raw materials, construction and the demand outlook
The final session brings together four subjects: raw-material availability in Central Europe, presented by Gerd Ebner; the construction market, covered by Maurice van Sante; the global demand outlook, delivered by Russ Taylor; and the relationship between forestry, construction and climate, examined by Florian Kraxner.
The conference is scheduled to conclude at 17:00, following questions, closing remarks and the announcement of ISC 2027.
The raw-material discussion will be particularly relevant to Central European sawmills facing changes in harvesting, log availability and procurement costs. The construction and global demand presentations will then turn attention to the consumption side of the market and prospects for international softwood trade.
Networking in Dublin
Wednesday’s optional Dublin tour includes visits to EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum, and the Jameson Distillery. The evening welcome reception takes place at the Guinness Storehouse, giving delegates an opportunity to meet before Thursday’s formal sessions.
Following the conference, participants will gather for a gala dinner at the Round Room in Dublin’s Mansion House. Alongside the presentations, the reception, breaks and dinner provide time for discussions between producers, importers, traders and other industry participants.
GWMI’s coverage will follow the conference’s market assessments, with reports on regional developments, supply conditions and the demand outlook presented in Dublin.