Preliminary programme
Empowering Wood Science
Leiden, The Netherlands
The congress takes place from 30 August to 3 September 2027
The organising team developed a diverse programme aiming to connect wood researchers from different disciplines to engage with each other and with non-academic partners. We anticipate around 150 participants from all continents, including junior and senior researchers and key illegal logging stakeholders such as customs authorities and wood import companies.
The programme covers four major themes: evolutionary and ecological wood and bark anatomy, upscaling wood identification, advancing timber tracing, and modern tree-ring research. A broad fifth theme will include presentations covering other fields in wood science, such as functional plant anatomy and material sciences. We will organise a two-day illegal logging event on Tuesday and Wednesday, allowing scientific and social interactions among partners from academia and other stakeholders. In addition to fostering scientific exchange, the congress will include mentorship sessions where junior researchers have the chance to engage with senior researchers, as well as one or two evening public lectures in the City Hall of Leiden, highlighting the importance of wood research in a changing world (in Dutch).
31 August and 1 September
Building a stakeholder network on illegal logging
Illegal logging is the third most profitable transnational crime, after drug trafficking and counterfeiting. From 2026 onwards, the new EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), aims to regulate the international timber trade more strictly. However, it will only be effective in protecting our forests if reliable and scalable techniques are developed for wood identification and provenance determination at a global level. Currently, such global techniques cannot be applied to all traded timber species harvested on all continents, which allows illegal logging to thrive at the expense of our most biodiverse hotspots, their local communities, and bona fide companies in the wood industry.
During these two days, our aim is to build an international network of various partners (including researchers, policymakers, customs officers, wood importers, NGOs and other stakeholders) who are committed to join forces to identify practical ways to improve transparency, traceability, and responsible wood sourcing in the future. If this ambition is appealing, you do not want to miss it!
The congress organisers will facilitate this networking process by a combination of presentations, round table discussions and social activities. This will enable sufficient knowledge exchange and interactive sessions to clarify how we can help each other and create win-win situations. Suggestions for relevant topics that must be included can be added to the registration form. Bringing the right people together is a crucial step towards ensuring that wood is harvested and traded legally and sustainably. This will not only better protect our forests and their overwhelming biodiversity, but also embrace the well-being of local communities and safeguard responsible businesses. Would you like to be part of this network initiative? Join us at the event!
Scientists like to have fun
We offer a welcoming reception on August 29 at one of the world's oldest botanical gardens, the Hortus botanicus Leiden located in the historical city centre. The reception and guided tours in the Hortus are included in the registration fee. We will also arrange a boat trip on the canals of Leiden's historical center (included in the registration fee), followed by a conference dinner (not included in the registration fee for academic participants but included in the registration fee for stakeholders).
A mix of junior and senior researchers
To ensure a good mix of junior and senior researchers, we secured funding for 15 junior researchers (MSc and PhD students, and postdocs up to 3 years) to apply for travel grants (up to €1250) via this form. We will also present awards for the best junior oral presentations and posters. Registration fees are kept low. We hope the congress will connect disciplines that rarely meet, fostering new insights and fruitful collaborations. Read the instructions and apply here for the travel grant.
Updates
A glimpse of the programme
What can you expect?
Sunday
August 29
14.00 - 17.30
Registration and welcoming reception
Monday
August 30
08.30 - 09.00
Registration
09.00 - 10.30
1: Wood ID
10.30 - 11.00
Coffee break
11.00 - 12.30
2: Provenancing
12.30 - 14.00
Lunch
14.00 - 15.30
3: Comp anatomy
15.30 - 16.00
Coffee break
16.00 - 17.30
4: Comp anatomy
17.30 - 18.45
Poster session 1
Tuesday
August 31
08.30 - 09.00
Registration
09.00 - 10.30
5: Wood ID
10.30 - 11.00
Coffee break
11.00 - 12.30
6: Provenancing
12.30 - 14.00
Lunch
14.00 - 15.30
Stakeholder event
15.30 - 16.00
Coffee break
16.00 - 17.30
Stakeholder event
17.30 - 18.45
Poster session 2
20.00 - 21.00
Public lecture
Wednesday
September 1
08.30 - 09.00
Registering
09.00 - 10.30
7: General session
10.30 - 11.00
Coffee break
11.00 - 12.30
8: General session
12.30 - 14.00
Lunch
14.00 - .......
Social activity tbd
Thursday
September 2
08.30 - 09.00
Registering
09.00 - 10.30
9: Dendrochronology
10.30 - 11.00
Coffee break
11.00 - 12.30
10: Comp anatomy
12.30 - 14.00
Lunch
14.00 - 15.30
11: Comp anatomy
15.30 - 16.00
Coffee break
16.00 - 17.30
12: Comp anatomy
17.30 - 18.45
Poster session 3
Friday
September 3
08.30 - 09.00
Registering
09.00 - 10.30
13: Dendrochronology
10.30 - 11.00
Coffee break
11.00 - 12.30
14: Comp anatomy
12.30 - 14.00
Lunch
14.00 - 15.30
11: Comp anatomy
15.30 - 16.00
Coffee break
16.00 - 17.30
12: Comp anatomy
17.30 - 18.45
Closing ceremony