Sales of 'Structural Particleboard' Surge 80-Fold... National Institute of Forest Science Highlights Technology Transfer Success

The National Institute of Forest Science announced on January 12 that, two years after transferring its self-developed "structural particleboard manufacturing technology" to the domestic industry, product sales have increased more than 80-fold.

Structural particleboard production process. Provided by the National Institute of Forest Science

Structural particleboard is a key panel material used in the walls, floors, and roofs of wooden and modular houses. Until now, the domestic timber construction market has relied heavily on imported products such as oriented strand board (OSB), resulting in significant price fluctuations and vulnerability to supply instability.

To address this, the National Institute of Forest Science developed the relevant technology in 2023 and transferred it to Dongwha Enterprise, establishing a production base for domestically produced wood-based materials.

As a result, two years later, sales of structural particleboard-mainly as cladding material for building walls-have continued to grow, signaling the full-fledged entry of domestic products into the market as substitutes for imports.

Actual sales figures show that annual sales last year reached 106,000 sheets, a surge of more than 80 times compared to 2023. This volume is sufficient to build about 600 houses of 99 square meters each.

This achievement is seen as an example of how proprietary technology developed by a national research institute has been commercialized through industry partners and applied at actual housing construction sites, demonstrating the successful transition of research and development (R&D) outcomes to commercialization.

Lee Sangmin, Head of the Wood Engineering Research Division at the National Institute of Forest Science, said, "Going forward, we will expand the application of structural particleboard to floors and roofs, increase the market share of domestic materials within the supply chain, and promote the use of wood. We will also continue to collaborate with industry to develop customized products for consumers and provide ongoing technical support."