Institute of Wood Science (IHW)
The Institute of Wood Science (IHW) is one of four institutes in the Department of Biology at the University of Hamburg and combines approaches from economics, engineering and the natural sciences to develop sustainable practices for the use of natural, renewable, raw wood material in the production of innovative materials and bioenergy.
The IHW has formerly offered the Bachelor of Science in Wood Industry, with its last admission in the winter semester 2017/18. As of the winter semester 2018/19, this has been replaced with the new bachelor’s degree program, Bachelor of Science in Bioresource Management. The winter semester 2018/2019 also marked the final semester in which students were admitted to the degree program, Master of Science in Wood Industry. Thereafter, the Master of Science in Wood Science will be offered as an international program with courses held in English beginning in the winter semester 2019/20. At the Institute of Wood Science, there is also the possibility to purse a doctoral degree.
Teaching and research cover topics in wood biology, wood technology, forestry production, economics, work science, biotechnology and business planning. Students learn about the biological, chemical and physical properties of wood, the use of wood for construction purposes, the mechanical and chemical processing of wood, the production of the raw material and the marketing of the manufactured products.
Research at the Institute of Wood Science encompasses both fundamental and applied research. Our research is supported by national and international scientific funding programs, the industrial sector and various associations. This provides the basis for excellent contacts to industry, associations and a wide variety of public institutions, which is incorporated in the education of our students.
The IHW partners with a large number of national and international research networks, maintains cooperation with various research groups at the University of Hamburg, the Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg (TUHH) and is involved in the Cluster of Excellence Climate Systems Analysis and Prediction (CliSAP) at the University of Hamburg. In the field of wood research, the IHW cooperates with the Thünen Institute (TI) and the Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forests and Fisheries.
