Enterprise Estonia, in collaboration with the Embassy of Estonia in Korea, successfully hosted a Media Roundtable in Seoul to highlight Estonia’s innovation and leadership in sustainable timber architecture and construction. The event marked the visit of the Estonian Wooden Architecture-Construction Delegation, further reinforcing Estonia’s global leadership in sustainable wooden architecture.
“Estonia is one of the largest exporters of wooden houses and timber products in Europe. We continuously push the boundaries in wood-based modular construction, design, and architecture. We are eager to collaborate with Korean partners to drive innovation in sustainable building solutions,” emphasized Ambassador Sten Schwede Estonia’s leading role in the European wooden construction industry.
51% of Estonia is covered by forests. 16% of the added value created in Estonia is by the wood sector.
With centuries of expertise in forest management and over 100 years of wood processing technology and education, Estonia is number one exporter of prefabricated wooden houses in Europe. As of 2023, Estonia exported 22.3% of wooden buildings in EU, with related industries generating an annual export revenue of 3 billion euros, solidifying its top position in the European wooden construction sector.
As sustainability is becoming one of the big global trends, Estonia’s wooden construction industry is gaining even more recognition. Modular wooden construction which uses wood instead of concrete, is gaining attention as an eco-friendly construction solution as it can reduce carbon emissions by 40% to even 77%. Modular designs can save 60% of energy when renovated and minimizes material waste and CO2 emissions, making it an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution. It can also reduce project timelines by up to 50%, leading to significant cost savings while maximizing efficiency.
Estonian wooden construction companies are eager to collaborate with Korean partners
The Media Roundtable took place on February 21 at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. Sten Schwede, the Ambassador of Estonia, Marek Roostar, Asia Regional Manager of the Enterprise Estonia, Annika Kadaja, CEO of Woodhouse Estonia, and Soon-hee Bae, the representative of the Enterprise Estonia as well as four leading Estonian architects presented Estonia’s innovative wooden construction and building capabilities.
“We are eager to collaborate with Korean partners to drive innovation in sustainable building solutions.”
Sten Schwede, Estonian Ambassador to the Republic of Korea
Berit Freivald, lead architect of One Architects, first presented “Hospital Architecture – The modular approach”. Then Karli Luik and Johan Tali, co-founders of Molumba, presented “Architectural Projects Utilizing Iconic Shapes”. Renee Puusepp, CEO of Creatomus Solutions and senior researcher at the Estonian Academy of Arts’ Wooden Architecture Center, then shared insights on “The Integration of Architecture and Digital Systems”.
The event opened with a welcoming speech by Ambassador Schwede, followed by a congratulatory speech by Marek Roostar. Annika Kadaja also gave a presentation on the innovative aspects of Estonian wooden architecture.
Lastly Soon-hee Bae introduced the Estonian companies in wood and construction sector. The event concluded with a networking session, allowing Korean journalists to engage with Estonian experts in free discussions.
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