ISWA utilises "Idola" method to boost value-add in wood processing industry
The ‘Idola’ method has been developed as a wood modification technology approach to improve material characteristics, including strength, dimensional stability, and biological durability.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Sawmill and Woodworking Association (ISWA) is utilising the “Idola” method to accelerate the added value of the national wood processing industry through the strengthening of modification technologies capable of enhancing product quality and competitiveness.
ISWA Presidium Chairman Jimmy Chandra stated that the Idola method was developed as a technological approach for wood modification to improve material characteristics, including strength, dimensional stability, and biological resistance or durability.
He noted in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Friday that the development of this innovation is being carried out through collaboration with the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and Jaya Cemerlang Industry (JCI).
Jimmy explained that one of the objectives of developing this method is to improve the quality of wood that previously fell into low strength/durability classes (classes 5–4) so that it can achieve higher strength/durability characteristics (classes 2–1).
According to him, the current challenge for the wood industry is no longer limited to producing raw materials, but rather how to process them into high-performance materials with greater economic value.
The sawmill and processed wood industry, Jimmy continued, holds a strategic position as a pillar for downstream industries, particularly furniture and home components.
Plantation forest wood or community wood is also considered a potential future source of raw materials because it can be developed sustainably. However, he noted that plantation wood still has limitations regarding its natural properties. Therefore, wood modification technology can be used to enhance material performance without altering the identity of the wood.
He also encouraged a shift in perspective regarding wood, moving from seeing it merely as a commodity to viewing it as a value-added material. Processing and innovation are deemed essential so that wood products do not compete solely on price, but also on quality and performance.
This technological transformation is also linked to the efficiency of raw material usage, including efforts to minimise waste or achieve zero waste.
From a downstream perspective, he stated that improving wood performance through modification technology opens opportunities for using materials in construction, furniture, decking, moulding, interiors, exteriors, and various other industrial products.
ISWA, the association for sawmill and processed wood entrepreneurs, is also pushing for a more integrated supply chain.
Jimmy emphasised that innovation must not stop in the laboratory, asserting that research results must be translated into industrial processes that are efficient, consistent, and capable of being produced on a larger scale.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) noted that in the first semester of 2025, the agro-industry sector, which includes wood processing, contributed 52.07 per cent to the non-oil and gas industrial Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 8.96 per cent to the national GDP, and recorded positive growth of 4.99 per cent.