Within the framework of the FOREST Talk & Link programme held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 29, 2026, the Association of Structure Wood Architecture – Ho Chi Minh City (SAWA) and the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM), under the Ministry of Construction, officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing a professional cooperation framework to promote the standardisation and wider application of structural wood in the construction sector in Vietnam. The MoU was signed by Mr. Vo Quang Ha, Chairman of SAWA, and Mr. Nguyen Quang Hiep, President of the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM), Ministry of Construction.
From dialogue to a technical cooperation framework
The signing took place in the context of the FOREST Talk & Link programme, which focused on sustainable wood consumption, deforestation-free supply chains and the increasingly important role of wood materials in the green transition of the construction sector. Discussions during the programme highlighted that, in addition to growing market pressures and environmental requirements, the lack of harmonised standards, testing procedures and technical frameworks for construction wood remains a major barrier for enterprises, architects and contractors when implementing projects using wood materials. Against this background, the cooperation between SAWA and the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM), Ministry of Construction, is considered a concrete step to link the discussions at the forum with long-term collaborative actions, with the aim of establishing a scientific and technical foundation for the wider application of wood in construction in Vietnam.
Cooperation focus: research, testing and standardisation of structural wood
According to the MoU, the two parties agreed to establish a cooperation framework to promote research, testing, evaluation and development of structural wood products for the construction industry, with a view to supporting technical standardisation and expanding the practical application of wood materials in construction projects. Specifically, SAWA and VIBM will jointly carry out testing and evaluation activities for construction wood, including the assessment of physical and mechanical properties, durability and load-bearing performance of structural wood materials. The test results will serve as an important basis for developing and improving quality assessment procedures to support regulatory management, design and construction of projects using wood materials. In parallel, the two parties will cooperate in supporting the development and improvement of technical standards for structural wood products such as LVL, glulam and CLT—materials that are increasingly used in many countries, but for which Vietnam still lacks a comprehensive and harmonised standard system.
From research to practice and towards a structural wood ecosystem
Under the cooperation agreement, SAWA and the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM), Ministry of Construction, plan to jointly develop a pilot project on the testing and evaluation of structural wood in Hanoi, thereby establishing an applied experimental model to support research, technical workforce training and technology transfer for enterprises. Beyond laboratory-based research, the cooperation also aims to bring research outcomes into real-world environments through demonstration and on-site testing models, in order to validate design solutions, construction methods and the performance of structural wood materials under actual conditions in Vietnam.
Within the cooperation framework, the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM), Ministry of Construction, will participate as SAWA’s technical partner in the exhibition “Mass Timber House in Forest (GOTO Exhibition)” to be held in Khanh Hoa Province. The exhibition will introduce five structural wood house prototypes using materials such as CLT, glulam and LVL. These houses will be constructed directly in a natural environment, following an outdoor “show–lab” model, to demonstrate mass timber technology and to test design, construction and material solutions under real operating conditions.
The exhibition aims to connect manufacturers, architects, contractors, research institutions and professional communities, thereby gradually establishing a foundation for a structural wood ecosystem in Vietnam aligned with green and sustainable architectural development. The participation of VIBM is expected to contribute scientific and technical depth to the demonstration and testing activities, while providing practical inputs for future research, standard development and technical transfer for Vietnam’s structural wood sector.
The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between SAWA and the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials (VIBM), Ministry of Construction, is expected to establish an important scientific and technical foundation for the standardisation, testing and wider application of structural wood in Vietnam’s construction industry. Through a series of research, testing, applied exhibitions and stakeholder engagement activities, this cooperation not only contributes to narrowing the gap between research and practice, but also supports the gradual development of a green, sustainable and market-oriented structural wood ecosystem in Vietnam in the coming period.