Australian Forest and Wood Innovations’ Board Communiqué
May 2026
AFWI’s second Board meeting of 2026 was held in Hobart on 26 May. Discussions focused on implementation, governance, financial sustainability, stakeholder engagement and research program delivery. Key highlights from the meeting include:
Strategic Planning and Implementation
The Board noted continued progress in implementing AFWI’s strategic priorities and endorsed the use of a short-form Implementation Plan to support consistent engagement with AFWI Research Centres, the Research Advisory Committee and key stakeholders.
The Board also discussed AFWI’s longer-term role in supporting research translation, adoption, commercialisation and industry capability development, including the importance of ensuring AFWI-funded projects deliver practical outcomes for industry, government and the broader forest and wood products sector.
Governance and Program Oversight
The Board endorsed updated governance arrangements for Research Centre advisory structures, including clearer and more consistent terms of reference to strengthen industry engagement and alignment across AFWI’s national research portfolio.
Research Delivery
The Board noted strong interest in National Open Call Round 3, with 27 Expressions of Interest received across AFWI’s research and innovation pillars. These will now progress through assessment and moderation processes, with recommendations to be considered through AFWI’s Research Advisory Committee, Research Committee and Board processes.
The Board also noted progress across AFWI-funded National Open Call and Research Centre projects, including the need to continue strengthening impact reporting, industry engagement and project-level communication as the research portfolio matures.
Financial Sustainability and Commonwealth Reporting
The Board noted AFWI’s quarterly financial report and endorsed the 2026–27 budget, subject to further documentation of key budget movements.
Stakeholder Engagement
The Board noted AFWI’s ongoing engagement with industry, government and research stakeholders, including recent participation in sector forums and planning for future engagement activities aligned with AFWI’s strategic priorities.
The Board also welcomed the appointment of AFWI’s R&D Partnerships Manager, Dr Carly Rosewarne, strengthening AFWI’s capacity to support industry engagement, adoption and research translation.
Next Board Meeting
The next AFWI Board meeting will be held on 31 August 2026, in Hobart.
Bob Gordon
Chair, Australian Forest and Wood Innovations Board
