Wood Processing Industry in Brandenburg

Brandenburg is the most wooded region in Eastern Germany, with Scots Pine (Pinus silvestris) the predominant species in the region and thus the basis of the timber industry.

The hallmark of Brandenburg’s wood processing businesses is their dynamic turnover and employment development: in 2015, the forty-three companies in the industry recorded commodity sales to the tune of €1.48 billion, while the number of employees rose to over 3,660. The industry is heavily geared towards exports, with 28% of the turnover achieved abroad.*)

Almost 78% of the turnover was generated by manufacturers of wood-based materials, including Pfleiderer and Classen (Baruth), Glunz (Beeskow) and Swiss Krono Group (Heiligengrabe). Baruth is a prime example of the concentration of businesses from the entire value-added chain at one location: sawmill (Klenk Holz), fibreboard manufacturer (Pfleiderer), fibreboard processing plant (Classen) and even several biomass power plants that supply the necessary energy.

Despite the presence of these larger companies, the industry is chiefly characterised by SMEs. These include innovative sawmills, timber construction companies, highly efficient joineries and producers of wooden playgrounds known all over Germany. The following businesses are particularly worth a mention:
Sawmills: Robeta (Milmersdorf), Gebrüder Noack (Spremberg), Holzindustrie Templin (Templin), Sägewerke Bohm (Hardenbeck).

Wooden prefab constructions: Opitz Holzbau (Neuruppin), Holzwerke Bullinger (Werder bei Neuruppin), Haacke (Werder/Havel), Architekts in Holz (Freiwalde), Schwörerhaus (Ahrensfelde).

Wooden playgrounds: SIK Holz (Niedergörsdorf), Spiel-Bau (Brandenburg a. d. Havel)

*) Key figures, 2015; businesses with over twenty employees; industry No. 16 (production of wooden, woven, wicker and cork goods, except furniture) according to the 2008 industry classification.

Source: Statistisches Landesamt Berlin Brandenburg

The technology transfer centres at the region’s universities offer direct access to the latest R&D results. The WFBB registers the companies’ need for innovation and offers optimum support in the development of innovative ideas: from arranging contacts with relevant experts and applying for funding to the administrative management of your project, thus providing highly efficient and demand-oriented technology transfer services.

More information available under Innovative Brandenburg

• Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg

Department of Soil Conservation and Recultivation
Focus on: forest ecology, soil conservation in forests (forest ecosystems research), forestry and renewable raw material management.

• University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde

Faculty of Wood Engineering
Focus on: processing of wood products, wood anatomy and pathology (influence of fungi, insects and environmental factors on wood products), process and product development, timber construction, software programming.

Faculty of Landscape Management and Nature Conservation
Focus on: comparison of various forest types, assessment of the energy potential of different wooded areas, “Agrarholz” forestry conference.

Faculty of Forest and Environment
Focus on: renewable raw materials, ecosystems research, nature and forest conservation, environmental monitoring.

Faculty of Sustainable Business
Focus on: raising awareness of the links between economy, ecology and social responsibility.

• University of Applied Sciences Potsdam

Faculty of Design
Focus on: woodworking, modelling, product design.

Degree course in Preservation and Restoration
Focus on: wood restoration, surface treatment, preservation.

• Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau

Degree course in automation technology
Focus on: engineering priciples, electrical fundamentals, information-technical bases, specialized applications, interdisciplinary subject areas

Degree course in Logistics
Focus on: planning, control of material and information flows from supply to production to sales to disposal.

Degree course in Mechanical Engineering
Focus on: production systems, plant planning, production process controlling, CAD, production technology, tool design, production measurement technology.

Degree course in Industrial Engineering
Focus on: basics of microeconomics, accounting, corporate planning, material technology, production preparation, production technology, design technology, factory and production planning, CNC programming, CAD-CAM