Recently we announced the exciting next stage in the evolution of the FWPA-supported Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life, with the appointment of new Director, Professor Tripti Singh.
With more than 20 years’ experience managing collaborative, multi-million-dollar research programs, Singh is one of New Zealand’s leading names in wood protection research.
Singh has been a senior scientist at New Zealand’s Scion, a government-owned company that conducts research to drive innovation and growth in the nation’s forestry, wood products and wood-derived materials.
The focus of her research during the last 20 years has been on the durability of timber products using biocidal and non-biocidal treatments. She was also a part of the centre’s international advisory committee since 2017.
FWPA Chair Craig Taylor said he was delighted to welcome such a well-respected and widely recognised name from the international wood science community to the Director role.
“The centre enjoyed an outstanding launch and has evolved to become a valuable resource for the whole sector. We look forward to its renewed success and expansion under Tripti’s leadership,” Taylor said.
The centre is supported by Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) and University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). It launched in 2016 with the goal of returning Australia to the forefront of international best practice and underpinning consumer confidence in timber product performance.
Settling into the role
Singh said she has been pleased with the warm welcome she has received since starting in the role.
“It’s all been very positive so far! So many of our industry partners and stakeholders are hugely supportive and passionately want to see the centre succeed,” Singh said.
“I’ve had the opportunity to meet with lots of industry representatives to gain a better understanding of their needs and have presented at various conferences about the work of the centre.”
Singh spoke to delegates from the architectural and engineering sectors at the Offsite Building Conference in Melbourne on the topic of Timber durability and moisture management in a sustainable built environment.
She also attended the 19th International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists in Auckland, where she presented a paper on Functionalisation of wood-based materials for carbon storage.
“I am fortunate that my predecessor laid an excellent foundation for me to build upon and reinvigorate some areas, including stakeholder engagement,” Singh said.
“I want to focus on industry outreach, improving engagement, strengthening linkages, and nurturing relationships with all our industry partners during this next phase of the centre.
“It is vital that we continue to work with industry and academics in a collaborative way to ensure our work has real-world benefits with outcomes that offer practical solutions ready for implementation by the sector,” she said.
One particular focus Singh is keen to keep front-of-mind is that the centre is national, and its research must benefit the forestry and wood products industry in all Australian states and territories.
“Take somewhere like Tasmania and compare it to the Northern Territory and it becomes clear that challenges when it comes to timber use for various applications vary wildly across the country,” she explained.
“Therefore, we need to make sure we focus on work that is applicable to Australia’s many and varied conditions and climates.”
Looking to the future
Singh is in the process of planning the centre’s short and long-term strategies.
In the short term, she wants the centre to be seen by industry, stakeholders and collaborators as a trusted partner that is transparent and approachable.
“This will only be possible through a successful outreach strategy. We want to develop case studies that demonstrate the positive and measurable impact and successful implementation of our research,” Singh said.
In the longer term, she hopes to lead the centre towards a sustainable future where timber stands as a symbol of sustainability, environmental responsibility, as well as its many other benefits.
“I like to envisage a world where, through innovation and cutting-edge research, timber becomes the material of choice for an endless number of applications,” she said.
“We want to make sure people understand that timber products are the perfect choice for many reasons. While sustainability is a major selling point, there are so many other attributes for us to champion.”
Singh said the core mission of the centre continues to be providing opportunities for early-career researchers.
“Our team of researchers is ever-growing, and we are continually engaging with, interviewing, and recruiting new students to come and join, and get involved with the remarkable research happening at the centre,” Singh said.
It’s not just Australia that Singh will be keeping an eye on. “I will also be playing close attention to what is happening in the timber durability space around the world,” she said.
“My role on the Executive Committee of the International Research Group on Wood Protection means I regularly meet with leaders in the timber durability space from across the world.
“These meetings are especially valuable, as they provide a forum in which we can all learn from one another.”
Details of two current centre-led projects that she mentioned as being particularly exciting and significant are outlined in a separate article here
About the Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life
During the past six years the centre has made important inroads in working with industry to ensure Australia has access to the world’s leading research, building strong links between industry, academia and customers.
It has overseen vital research projects of significant value to the sector and helped to educate the next generation of durability scientists, boosting Australian research capacity.
The varied work of the centre since establishment has ranged from the development of new, longer-lasting wood products through to the reduction of wood waste and new opportunities in the circular economy.
The centre’s success resulted in the extension of its activities for at least five years following an FWPA mid-term review in 2022.
