WHO WE ARE
ILG Strategy and Implementation Plan
Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands Jim Fairlie joined members of the Scottish Forest and Wood-based Industries Leadership Group at their recent meeting, 9th September 2026, to launch their updated strategy for 2025 – 2035, called ‘A National Wood Strategy – Delivering for Scotland’.
Download the Strategy here: ‘A National Wood Strategy – Delivering in Scotland’.
This national strategy sets out the sector’s ambitions to increase its contributions to Scotland’s economic and climate change targets, working in partnership with the Scottish Government and its agencies.
Guy Watt, Chair of the Industry Leadership Group said: ‘The strategy covers all Scotland’s sources of wood fibre from Scotland’s forests, from imported wood fibre and from reusing and recycling wood fibre. It has been developed by representatives of companies in the private sector from across the wood-chain’.
Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands Jim Fairlie said: ‘This document marks the next phase in driving forward the development of inclusive and sustainable growth in Scotland’s Forest and Wood-based Industries. I commend the sector for its progress and ambition and welcome this strategy as a platform for further growth, innovation and economic impact by 2035.’
Download the full press release here.
The ILG strategy for achieving that vision identifies nine immediate strategic priorities for the forest and wood-based industries sector, and these are to focus on:
These strategic priorities are being delivered through an action plan that is being taken forward through partnerships with a variety of organisations that include individual forest sector companies, Scottish Forestry, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, Edinburgh Napier University, Forest Research and the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre. Where necessary, we will create working groups from relative representatives from the supply chain and beyond to address specific opportunities and/or ongoing themes.
Currently there is one active working group focussing on “Developing a skilled workforce for the future” . Other groups will be created as and when necessary.
The ILG has a vision which is that in 2035 there will have been:
- The continued creation of up to 150,000 hectares of new UKFS compliant broadleaved and coniferous woodlands in Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Government.
- The adoption of advanced tree breeding techniques to improve the productivity of some of our main commercial and softwood species.
- Greater understanding, assisted by technology, of the provenances of all types of wood products used in Scotland whether grown domestically or imported.
- A real drive, supported by legislation to make wood and wood products the products of choice in house building and construction in the UK.
- The adoption of an integrated model for manufacturing, assembling and delivering building in the UK.
- Marketing campaigns that have successfully driven awareness of the environmental benefits of reusing and recycling wood and wood products.
- New opportunities identified for the sector through innovation and the application of new technologies.
- An availability of appropriately educated and trained men and women who have been attracted to working in all parts of the sector.
