Uruguay showcases its forestry potential at Woodrise 2025

Starting today, Uruguay is participating in the Woodrise Congress 2025, which will run until September 25 in Vancouver, Canada. The congress will bring together more than 2,000 experts, businesspeople, academics, and authorities from 25 countries. The agenda includes technical conferences, presentations of flagship projects, and networking opportunities to promote the use of wood in medium—and high-rise buildings.

Uruguay XXI has a country stand that will showcase the potential of the national forestry-wood chain. This presence seeks to position the country as a reliable partner for developing innovative projects related to the mechanical transformation of wood and the production of high-value materials.

In this context, the president and co-founder of Arboreal, Matías Abergo, will participate as a speaker in the plenary session “The Role of Business Leaders: Building a 21st Century Mass Timber Facility.” Abergo is the CEO of the largest mass timber plant in South America, located in Uruguay, and is recognized as one of the leading regional voices in promoting wood-based structural systems.

Under his leadership, Arboreal integrated structural engineering, BIM modeling, CLT and GLT production, and advanced CNC technology, with international certifications that guarantee quality and traceability. In addition, he leads a decarbonization strategy through structural solutions in renewable materials that capture and store carbon. Today, the company exports more than 5,000 containers of pine products annually from Uruguay to more than 30 countries, contributing to projects ranging from single-family homes to medium- and high-rise buildings.

Investments that consolidate a strategic sector

Participation in Woodrise is supported by a favorable context: since 2019, Uruguay has attracted more than US$650 million in forestry investments, consolidating regional leadership that combines resource availability, institutional stability, and a commitment to sustainability.

Recent milestones include the arrival of Japanese giant Oji Holdings, which 2024 invested US$288 million in plantations in Tacuarembó and Rivera, marking the most significant Japanese investment in the country’s forestry sector. Also noteworthy is the expansion of Lumin, which in 2023 allocated US$136 million to a new high-value plywood panel plant, and the consolidation of Arboreal, with an investment of US$60 million in the largest CLT and Glulam plant in South America, key to the production of structural components for high-rise buildings.

With more than 90% of its plantations FSC and PEFC certified, a clean energy matrix, and international ports of call, Uruguay offers unique competitive conditions. The combination of macroeconomic stability, skilled talent, and clear rules consolidates the country as a strategic destination for those committed to wood construction and transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

Learn more about the sector here.