Seven Years of the Baden-Württemberg Timber Innovation Programme

Minister-President Kretschmann went on to emphasise: ‘Our forests not only provide us with oxygen and tranquillity, but also with the material we need to create a climate-friendly building culture. That is why building with wood stands for good, sustainable construction and living – and we want to remain pioneers in this field in the future.’ “Forty percent of all CO2 emissions are generated in the construction and use of buildings. Therefore, the use of renewable raw materials, especially wood, represents a major lever in achieving the state’s climate policy, economic and socio-political goals. As one of the oldest materials in use, it is also a high-tech building material of the future. Against this backdrop, the state government launched the Baden-Württemberg Timber Construction.

Initiative back in 2018 to drive forward the transformation of the construction sector. For seven years, it has been an important catalyst for climate-friendly construction in Baden-Württemberg and sending out a signal far beyond our state´s borders. Six ministries are working together under the leadership of the Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection across departments and topics to embed a climate-friendly building culture using wood,” said Minister-President Winfried Kretschmann MdL in the New Palace in Stuttgart.

In his speech, Minister Hauk MdL reminded the audience: “Our forests are managed with long-term utilisation plans that are carefully tailored to sustainable and nature-oriented forestry. Almost 90 per cent of the harvested wood remains in the region and is processed here in regional value chains. This is a significant advantage compared with other building materials. Through active forest conversion and adaptation to future climate conditions, forest management and timber use go hand in hand and there is sufficient timber available. The Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection has therefore been supporting the Forestry and Timber Cluster for over 15 years in order to promote sustainable and innovative forestry and timber management in the state.” This creates sustainable jobs through sustainable growth and increases resilience and independence.
A wide-ranging programme of accompanying events provided guests with a lively overview of the highlights of HIP funding.

Minister Peter Hauk explains: “Timber construction is a driver of innovation for a sustainable and future-proof building culture, because our timber is good for the climate and good for citizens. The state strategy Holzbau-Offensive BW (Wood Construction Offensive BW) is a real success story. By promoting innovative timber construction projects, we have not only improved the cost-effectiveness and quality of timber buildings, but also made an important contribution to climate protection – and we intend to do so even more in the future. Building with timber is one of the most effective CO2 storage technologies we have. Promoting this sustainable technology and using wood, a renewable raw material sourced regionally, are essential pillars of a sustainable and climate-friendly building culture.

Already 100 funding projects have been selected and supported as part of the “Holz Innovativ Programm” (HIP) flagship funding programme. A joint education platform has been established with the Baden-Württemberg Chamber of Architects and Chamber of Engineers. Six professorships at several locations in the state support academic training in building with wood, thereby strenghtening the State´s expertise.

“As part of the “Holz Innovativ Programm” (HIP), we built Germany’s first wooden high-rise building in Heilbronn. And the SWG production hall in Waldenburg, with the world’s largest roof structure made of beech wood. The Franklin Village project in Mannheim is one of the most significant projects in the country in terms of multi-storey residential construction using wood and recently won the German Architecture Prize 2025,” said Minister Hauk. These projects have shown that timber is a versatile and sustainable building material, suitable for a wide range of construction tasks, such as commercial buildings and high-rise buildings, and can also be used without hesitation in demanding areas such as fire stations, hospitals or laboratories. As a raw material for timber construction, timber grows sustainably as a renewable resource in the country’s forests and is produced to high standards.