Australian Forest and Wood Innovations’ Board Communiqué
September 2025
AFWI’s third Board meeting of 2025 was held in Hobart on 23 September 2025. Key discussion points included:
AFWI Operations
The Business Plans for all three Research Centres (RCs) were endorsed by the Board and communicated to the RCs.
AFWI Key October 2025 Events
– 22nd October: A plenary session titled “Pathway to 2030” at the Forestry Australia Conference.
– 24th October: AFWI’s Inaugural Innovation Workshop, Melbourne – Spotlight on Bioproducts and Value-Added Opportunities from Forest Fibre & Residues headlined by Prof John Warner [Warner–Babcock Institute, USA]
The First Nations representative seat on the Board is currently vacant. Recruitment for this replacement will be undertaken to align with AFWI’s broader strategy.
National Open Call (NOC) & Research Centre Lead-In Projects
All NOC Round 1 projects are now on track with an emphasis on meeting milestone deliveries.
Discussions on project capacity with all three Research Centres will take place over the coming weeks, prior to the November Board meeting.
AFWI will advise the Minister on proposed timing for NOC Round 3, to allow the current batch of Research Centres projects to get underway.
Next Board Meeting
The next AFWI Board meeting will be held on 27 November 2025 in Canberra. This is scheduled to coincide with AFPA meetings to continue our engagement with the industry.
Bob Gordon
Chair, Australian Forest and Wood Innovations Board
