The LIFE Wood for Future project and its spinoff Iberolam Timber&Technology have actively participated in the II Sustainability Fair of Granada, organized by the Chamber of Commerce and the Granada City Council.

A stand of the project and Iberolam have served to disseminate and promote the benefits of the use of wood in construction among citizens as a mechanism to reduce the carbon footprint in construction and promote sustainable forest management. The stand, made up of cross-laminated timber (CLT) furniture manufactured by the Galician company Xylonor, also displayed models of the innovative structural products developed as part of the project, MCLam laminated beams and the mixed wood-concrete system MCLamBS. The stand also served to promote the services offered by Iberolam in the field of consulting, calculation and inspection of timber structures.

The staff of the UIMA-UGR Laboratory, the Marjal group and the spinoff Iberolam T&T have actively participated in the stand, demonstrating the collaboration between the University and the private sector for the transfer of knowledge.

During the inauguration, we have received the visit of the mayoress of the city, Marifán Carazo, as well as the Delegate of the Andalusian Government in Granada, Antonio Granados.

Also, within the program of guest lectures at the Fair, the UGR professor and researcher at the UIMA-UGR laboratory, Ana Cruz Valdivieso, gave a talk on “Wood Products for Sustainable Construction”, reviewing the current challenges of construction and highlighting the importance of wood to reduce the carbon footprint in construction and industrialize construction processes. During her talk, Professor Cruz also presented some of the results of the LIFE project on new structural products with Andalusian wood.

The Fair was held at the Paseo del Salón in the capital of Granada between Tuesday, October 15 and October 17, 2024 and brought together different local actors to promote sustainable development. During the inauguration the mayor of the city stressed that, in these times of environmental challenges, Granada is committed to innovation and circular economy to promote sustainable habits in the city.

The Chamber of Commerce, represented by Marichu García Trejo, emphasized the crucial role of companies, especially SMEs, in achieving sustainability goals in terms of decarbonization and energy efficiency. She also emphasized that any sustainability solution stems from research and innovation generated within the company.

The Sustainability Fair featured conferences, workshops and stands that highlighted products and services focused on sustainability, promoting environmental awareness. Throughout the three days, conferences on circular economy, biodiversity, industrial symbiosis and energy transition have been presented. Speakers have included representatives from the University of Granada, the Astrophysics Institute of Andalusia, and members of administrations and companies from several autonomous communities.

Además, se han llevado a cabo talleres prácticos y divulgativos, así como una exposición de iniciativas locales que presentan proyectos y buenas prácticas con impacto positivo en Granada. La Feria de la Sostenibilidad busca sensibilizar a los asistentes sobre la importancia de trabajar juntos para lograr un futuro más sostenible y saludable.