Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), Bangalore

The Government of Mysore had set up a Forest Research Laboratory (FRL) at Bangalore in 1938. In the initial years, work was carried out mainly on properties and uses of different timber species, essential oils, other non-wood forest products and prot tial oils, other non-wood forest products and protection of wood and trees from pests and diseases. In 1956, this laboratory was organised as a regional centre of Forest Research Institute and Colleges, Dehra Dun. In 1977, Sandal Research Centre was set up to undertake research on wide-ranging aspects of genetics, silviculture and management of sandal, a valuable tree well distributed all over Southern India. In 1977, the marine centres of Wood Preservation Branch, Forest Research Institutes & Colleges, Dehra Dun functioning at Vishakhapatnam, Madras, Goa and Kochi were transferred to Forest Research Laboratory, Bangalore. To attain excellence in wood science and forestry research to generate the desired value for forest and wood based products in a sustainable eco-friendly way. To generate and disseminate the advance knowledge and technological solutions for addressing issues related forest and wood based products to the society on a sustainable basis through research, education and extension. Wood is Good. This goodness in wood emanates from its inherent qualities-natural, diverse, renewable and biodegradable. More so, it locks carbon, It demands very less energy for its manipulation and is amenable for industrialization. All these make wood the best among the materials available in the present world. The Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST) proudly strives to promote this wonderful material – ‘wood’ The Institute is lauded for high quality facilities in Testing and Standardization of wood products and composites as recognized by Bureau of Indian Standards. The testing labs in the Institute have NABL accreditation for Testing and Evaluation of Wood Composites in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005. The real strength of IWST lies in its strong bondings with the cluster of Panel Industries in the country which are bolstered by periodic IWST-Industry meets in pan-Indian context. This makes the Institute entirely demand driven with sharp focus on the Industry at large. Needless to say the crux of the technologies developed is sustainable i.e. environmentally benign, cost effective and socially acceptable.