A new sustainable building material that’s stronger than steel and made from ordinary timber is about to go into mass production, and it could change the face of construction forever.
From The Lab to the Launch of ‘Superwood’
In 2018, materials scientist Liangbing Hu and his team at the University of Maryland developed a method to convert ordinary wood into a material significantly stronger and lighter than steel. The innovation, initially viewed as a promising (but laboratory-bound) breakthrough, involved finding a new way to densify wood to enhance its strength and durability through a chemical and compression process. It seems that only now, after seven years, 140 patents, and millions in investment later, Superwood is actually heading to market.
InventWood
The startup behind the commercial rollout, InventWood, is gearing up to begin production this summer 2025 (summer 2025 is as accurate a launch date as InventWood has given) at its first dedicated facility. Backed by $15 million in Series A funding from climate-focused investors including the Grantham Foundation and Builders Vision, the company believes Superwood could soon replace a substantial chunk of the steel used in buildings, and significantly reduce the environmental cost of construction in the process.
How is Superwood Made?
Superwood is essentially regular wood that has undergone a chemical and physical treatment to alter its structure at the molecular level, thereby significantly increasing its strength and durability.
The process starts with regular timber, which is mostly composed of the two key compounds of cellulose and lignin. Cellulose is the strong, fibrous material that gives plant cells their rigidity, while lignin acts as a kind of natural glue. Ironically, it’s the removal of lignin that unlocks the strength hidden inside the wood.
The process to strengthen the wood and turn it into ‘Superwood’ includes:
– Boiling and bonding. The wood is first boiled in a solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfite – a process not unlike that used in paper production. This removes most of the lignin and hemicellulose, while keeping the cellulose intact.
– Compression and heating. Next, the softened wood is compressed and gently heated, causing the cell walls to collapse. This triggers hydrogen bonding between adjacent cellulose fibres, vastly increasing the wood’s strength.
– Stabilisation. For external use, some samples are impregnated with polymers, improving resistance to moisture and environmental wear.
The Result
The result of this transformative process is to create material with up to 20 times the strength of natural wood, and a strength-to-weight ratio up to 10 times greater than steel! Also, according to InventWood, it’s also highly fire-resistant (Class A fire rating), pest- and rot-resistant and, unlike most tropical hardwoods, naturally beautiful, thanks to a deep, rich colour created during the compression process. As InventWood’s CEO Alex Lau says: “It looks like walnut or ipe, but we haven’t stained any of it,” and that “These are the natural colours. It’s just wood, re-engineered.”
Steel-Level Performance Without the Carbon
The potential sustainability benefits of Superwood are huge. For example, globally, the production of steel accounts for about 7–9 per cent of direct emissions from fossil fuels, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Also, concrete and steel together make up around 90 per cent of the carbon footprint of new buildings. This means that being able to replace even a fraction of that with a renewable, carbon-sequestering material like Superwood could be a game-changer.
On a like-for-like performance basis, Superwood generates 90 per cent lower emissions than steel and, because it locks carbon into the material itself, every Superwood beam or panel becomes a kind of mini carbon store.
The material can also be made from underutilised or waste wood, adding another layer of circularity and environmental value.
What Can It Be Used For?
At launch, InventWood is targeting facade and cladding applications for commercial and high-end residential buildings. These “skin” uses are designed to be ideal early-stage deployments, giving architects and developers a chance to work with the material in lower-stress contexts while the production process is scaled up.
However, it seems that the real ambition lies deeper in the building. For example, as Lau says, “Eventually we want to get to the bones of the building”, including structural beams, columns, and even I-beams being made entirely from Superwood. The strength, light weight, and stability of Superwood means it could be used not just in walls and roofing, but in entire load-bearing structures.
Beyond construction, other possible applications could include:
– Furniture. Stronger, lighter, and more durable wooden furniture with high aesthetic value.
– Vehicles. Potential use in interior vehicle panels or lightweight frames.
– Protective Gear. Early tests showed Superwood could stop bullet-like projectiles, leading to speculation it might be used in low-cost body armour or impact-resistant products.
– Consumer Goods. From tools to sports equipment, the applications could span industries.
Mouldable Into Different Shapes
One other big practical and aesthetic advantage is that, because it’s mouldable during the early stages of production, the wood can be shaped and formed into complex designs before hardening, thereby opening up design possibilities beyond what’s possible with standard timber.
Scaling Up
With its first production plant due to go live this summer, InventWood is keen to prove it can scale efficiently. The initial batches will be smaller and aimed at showcasing Superwood’s performance and aesthetics in real-world projects.
Over time, the plan appears to be to mass-produce structural timber products using waste or fast-growing softwoods, such as pine or poplar, woods that are cheap and abundant but typically too weak for major construction use.
By applying the Superwood process, these everyday species could be upgraded to high-performance materials without the costs or carbon associated with tropical hardwoods or engineered metal.
Investor Interest
Not surprisingly, the company has already attracted interest from major investors and partners in the climate tech space, and says the long-term goal is to replace up to 80 per cent of the structural steel currently used in building and infrastructure projects.
Hype or Hope?
Despite the excitement, it should be noted that Superwood isn’t without its critics, or its hurdles. For one, the technology is still in its commercial infancy. While lab tests and prototypes are impressive, the construction industry is notoriously conservative when it comes to adopting new materials, especially for structural use. Engineers, insurers and regulators will need to be convinced of its long-term performance under varied conditions, including moisture, temperature change, and mechanical stress.
There’s also the question of cost and scalability. While Lau says the process has been reduced from “more than a week to a few hours,” manufacturing densified wood still requires energy, chemical treatments, and controlled conditions. Whether the environmental benefits are maintained at large scale will depend on the sourcing of those inputs and the overall lifecycle of the material.
Some environmental groups have also raised concerns about supply chain transparency. If demand for Superwood grows rapidly, there will be pressure to ensure that input timber is sustainably and ethically harvested, particularly if production expands beyond waste wood and fast-growing species.
Benefits Outweigh Challenges
However, supporters of the technology argue that the potential benefits outweigh the challenges. For example, investors involved in the funding round have highlighted the urgent need for new, low-carbon materials in response to the climate crisis, and view Superwood as a promising solution that combines high strength, aesthetic appeal, and significantly lower emissions. Some believe it could represent one of the most important material innovations of the decade.
What Does This Mean For Your Organisation?
If Superwood’s apparent potential to dramatically reduce carbon emissions while delivering on performance could make it an attractive alternative to steel and tropical hardwoods, especially at a time when the construction industry is under growing pressure to decarbonise.
For UK businesses, particularly those involved in architecture, building design, and sustainable development, this could open up exciting new opportunities. Superwood’s combination of strength, lightweight handling, and natural beauty offers practical advantages that go beyond green credentials. If adopted at scale, it could help developers meet net-zero targets, reduce material costs, and differentiate projects in a highly competitive market. Manufacturers and timber suppliers may also find new demand for underused or waste wood, potentially driving regional supply chains and creating jobs linked to circular production.
Also, with early use cases already being explored in areas like furniture, transport, and protective materials, Superwood’s commercial reach could extend well beyond construction. For example, as the product matures and real-world performance data emerges, its use may spread into consumer goods, automotive interiors, and even defence applications.
That said, its long-term impact will hinge on more than just innovation. It will depend on how quickly the production process can be scaled, how effectively it’s regulated, and whether sustainability claims can be backed by transparent, verifiable supply chains. For clients, designers, and contractors alike, due diligence will be essential.
Still, in a sector where true breakthroughs are rare and often slow to emerge, Superwood offers something genuinely different, i.e. a material that aligns strength, sustainability, and versatility in a way that could reshape how (and what) we build in the years ahead.
