Funding body: European Union and Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia as part of the "ERDF/JTF Programme 2021-2027" of the Energy.IN.NRW innovation competition

Project duration: 07/2024 - 07/2027

Timber construction is traditionally characterised by manual production, which is increasingly being replaced by automated and customisable production processes as a result of advancing digitalisation. BIM-based planning processes and file exchange formats such as ELDATsmart and StanForD contribute to the fact that the use of IoT technologies offers great opportunities to increase productivity, quality and sustainability in timber construction. However, there are challenges in terms of data collection and processing along the timber value chain.

The aim of the "TimberConnect" research project is therefore to establish an IoT-based process structure for the digital and automated collection of relevant process data along the supply chain for timber components in a practical project to promote resource-conserving and recyclable construction. In particular, the project aims to strengthen networking between the various players in the timber component value chain by developing an industry-specific digital product passport. This product passport is to be filled in semi-automatically in order to avoid additional bureaucratic work for future legal regulations. At the same time, consistent data should create more transparency and efficiency and enable new digital business models.

To this end, an ACTUAL process model will first be developed with all players along the wood supply chain, then a concept for setting up an IoT-based process structure for standardised data exchange along the value chain will be developed and finally the concept will be technologically implemented in the key stages of the value chain and validated at demonstration level.

The results will be presented at the University of Wuppertal as part of a competence centre that is being developed to advise on the introduction of IoT-based process levels for various use cases using the example of the digitalised wood supply chain.

The Digital Design, Construction and Operation teaching and research area at BUW and the Institute for Technologies and Management of Digital Transformation at BUW are carrying out this project in close collaboration with the following partners.