May 2026 Newsletter: Projects, News & Events
Welcome to the May 2026 edition of the PNW Mass Timber Tech Hub newsletter. In this edition: All Access with Andy Garcia, Port of Portland Mass Timber Campus Takes Shape, OSU Launches Wood Innovation for Sustainability Professional Science Master’s program, Capital Investment Framework Update, Events & Gatherings, and Industry & Market Signals.
Dear Friends and Partners,
One of the clearest takeaways from this year’s International Mass Timber Conference was that the next phase of industry growth will depend less on individual projects and more on coalition-building across manufacturing, forestry, workforce development, higher education, policy, and capital markets. Conversations throughout IMTC reinforced the importance of regional alignment, shared infrastructure, and collaborative market development as the sector moves from early adoption toward scaled deployment.
All Access with Andy Garcia
Get excited! The Oregon Mass Timber Coalition will be featured in a new All Access with Andy Garcia segment focused on mass timber innovation and regional industry leadership. Tell your friends and get your watch-parties and group chats ready.
→ June livestream announcement coming soon
Port of Portland Mass Timber Campus Takes Shape
Momentum continues building around the Port of Portland’s emerging mass timber campus, highlighting the Pacific Northwest’s growing role in manufacturing, industrial innovation, and next-generation wood products infrastructure.
Read the feature and watch the exclusive video here.
OSU Launches Wood Innovation for Sustainability Professional Science Master’s program
OSU and the TallWood Design Institute are rolling out a new fully online Professional Science Master’s program focused on Wood Innovation for Sustainability, including specializations in mass timber and the timber circular economy. The program is designed for mid-career professionals seeking practical, industry-oriented training and leadership development.
OSU Wood Innovation for Sustainability Program
A reminder that we are actively seeking projects or pilots launching this year; workforce or supply chain signals; quotes or demand data; third-party validation, research, and more! Send your updates to Marcus Kauffman! We want to highlight momentum across the region.
Capital Investment Framework Update
Ongoing discussions continue advancing conversations around capital expenditure frameworks, manufacturing investment readiness, and investor-facing project evaluation tools. Members with experience in underwriting, facility development, equipment finance, or industrial deployment are encouraged to stay engaged as this work evolves.
Events & Gatherings
California Mass Timber Conference 2026
May 20, 2026
California’s first of its kind mass timber gathering will convene project teams, policymakers, researchers, developers, and manufacturers focused on advancing timber adoption across the West Coast.
WoodWorks Seminar: Mass Timber Constructability and Costing
May 21, 2026
Virtual educational seminar exploring constructability considerations, cost drivers, and project delivery strategies for mass timber buildings.
AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2026 | San Diego, CA
June 10–13, 2026
Major architecture and design conference featuring growing programming around embodied carbon, hybrid systems, and mass timber innovation.
Mass Timber Group Summit 2026 | Denver, CO
August 19–21, 2026
AEC- and developer-focused event centered on project delivery, finance, hybrid systems, affordable housing, and real-world case studies.
Industry & Market Signals
Accelerator Cities expands.
The Softwood Lumber Board announced new momentum around its Accelerator Cities Program, which supports developers and project teams exploring mass timber adoption in major urban markets. Closer to home, the City of Portland's Bureau of Housing is piloting a Mass Timber Accelerator that provides early-phase feasibility funding for developers, a direct expression of the long-running alignment between the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition, the PNW Tech Hub, and Portland's housing and economic development goals.
Mass timber mainstreaming.
Think Wood recently highlighted six projects demonstrating that mass timber is no longer a niche material system, but increasingly part of mainstream commercial and institutional development pipelines.
→ Six Buildings Proving Mass Timber Isn’t Niche Anymore
Lessons from the movement.
A recent Fast Company feature explored four broader lessons emerging from the mass timber movement, including the importance of policy alignment, manufacturing investment, regional supply chains, and developer confidence in scaling the sector nationally.
→ 4 Lessons From the Mass Timber Movement
With funding provided by the US Economic Development Administration to Oregon State University, we are laying the foundation for our shared vision of a globally competitive industry in mass timber.
— The PNW Mass Timber Tech Hub Team
Marcus Kauffman, ODF, Tech Hub Regional Innovation Officer (RIO)
Iain Macdonald, OSU, Hub Director
*A reminder that the Tech Hub is open to organizations, agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit partners across OR, WA, ID, and MT. With a full value chain focus across forest management, harvest, and milling to design, manufacturing, and construction and including those providing products, services, innovation, or infrastructure, members share a commitment to collaborative efforts to expand sustainable wood use, strengthen the regional mass timber industry, and position it for global competitiveness.
Stay Informed
The Mass Timber Tech Hub's newsletter is a great way to stay up to date on what's happening in the mass timber industry.
