The realization of the Wood Vision Lab in Weiz is progressing: The Economic Development Corporation of the Municipality of Weiz and Wood Vision Lab GmbH recently signed a 100-year building lease agreement. It stands for long-term commitment, sustainable innovation, and the promotion of forward-looking technologies at the location. The new high-tech wood pioneer center will be the fifth building on the campus of the W.E.I.Z. innovation center and is scheduled for completion in 2027—a long-term investment in research, innovation, and jobs.
Wood reimagined
"With the start of detailed planning for the infrastructure development of the Wood Vision Lab, another decisive step towards the realization of this pioneering center has been taken. The signing of the building lease agreement for the next 100 years underlines our long-term commitment to sustainable innovation and strengthens the research and business location," says Heinz Mayer, Managing Director of JOANNEUM RESEARCH. "This opens up the opportunity for JOANNEUM RESEARCH to work with our partners to promote wood as an alternative for innovative product developments—for example, in the automotive sector—and to position Styria internationally as a region of expertise."
The research and development center, which is unique in Europe, looks far beyond the traditional applications of wood. Here, it is being reimagined and researched as a high-tech material: the natural raw material is to be further developed so that in the future it can replace aluminum, steel, carbon, or plastics—lighter, more stable, and at the same time more climate-friendly. The research ranges from detailed material analysis in the laboratory to innovative hybrid components for industries such as the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, and sports equipment production.
Wood Vision Lab: Enhanced cooperation
The agreement was signed in the presence of Weiz city politicians, led by Mayor Bettina Bauernhofer, and representatives of the shareholders. This further strengthened the cooperation with JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH. Under the leadership of DI Dr. Heinz Mayer, JOANNEUM RESEARCH is the largest non-university research institution in Styria. Based at the W.E.I.Z. innovation center for 25 years, around 100 employees now conduct research on groundbreaking projects from Weiz.
The consortium
In addition to W.E.I.Z. Immobilien GmbH and JOANNEUM RESEARCH, the consortium of shareholders in Wood Vision Lab GmbH includes the Weitzer Group, Steirische Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz University of Technology, and the Diocese of Graz-Seckau. In times of change, it is important to join forces and break new ground on the basis of a strong shareholder base. The aim is to gradually build up the planned pioneering center for "ecological lightweight construction" with a focus on "wood in high-tech applications" and establish it as a new area of strength for Styria.