Stronger than steel, lighter than wood
A building material that surpasses the strength of steel and yet is renewable. The vision sounds futuristic, but it is taking shape. After years of research, the US start-up Inventwood has brought so-called Superwood into mass production. The material was developed at the Department of Materials Science at the University of Maryland under the direction of Prof. Liangbing Hu. The first industrial batches have been delivered since summer 2025, a milestone for sustainable high-performance materials.
Foto: Inventwood
The idea is based on a targeted modification of the microstructure of wood. The natural main components remain the starting point. Cellulose, which provides tensile strength as a fibrous support structure, and lignin, which holds the fibers together as a natural adhesive. During the manufacturing process, some of the lignin is chemically removed, allowing the cellulose to be pressed tightly together. The result is an extremely compact, fiber-oriented material with a high density and comparatively low weight.
Tests show that Superwood is around twelve times stronger than untreated wood and can even achieve a higher tensile strength than steel in certain combinations. At the same time, the material remains biodegradable and is based on a renewable raw material. A rare balancing act between performance and sustainability.
Applications in the construction industry
Superwood could become a game changer for the construction sector. Its combination of lightness, load-bearing capacity and environmentally friendly origin makes it interesting for load-bearing structures, façade systems or modular lightweight construction elements. The material can be processed like wood, but is more resistant to moisture and deformation.
Inventwood is working with construction and architecture partners on pilot projects, for example for prefabricated wall systems or hybrid wood-concrete constructions. Researchers also see great potential in the infrastructure sector, for example for bridges, roofs or transportable buildings.
On the road to industrial use
The path from laboratory to mass production was a long one. The subsequent spin-off Inventwood turned it into a marketable product. The decisive factor was the scalability of the process, which can now be applied to large wooden elements.
The company sees Superwood as a sustainable alternative to emission-intensive materials such as steel, aluminum or concrete. Production requires less energy and the bound CO₂ remains stored in the material. Superwood could therefore contribute to the decarbonization of the construction industry.
Wood as a high-tech material
The industrialization of Superwood closes the circle between traditional building materials and modern material science. Ordinary wood becomes a high-performance material that redefines itself in terms of stability and sustainability.
If the material becomes available on a larger scale, it could fundamentally change international timber construction – from urban high-rise buildings to modular infrastructures. The future of construction, it seems, will remain made of wood – only smarter.