Climate change sets high pressures on the construction industry to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Due to the carbon storage properties and potential to use renewable resources efficiently, wooden multi-storey construction (WMC) is an interesting alternative for the construction industry to enhance sustainable development combined with the aesthetic and well-being benefits of wood perceived among many consumers. For forest industry firms, industrial wood construction is a possibility to seek for business opportunities and bring socio-economic benefits for local economies. Despite positive drivers, WMC still remains a niche even in the forest-rich countries.The purpose of our study is to add understanding on the WMC market development by conducting a systematic literature analysis on international peer-reviewed studies from the past 20 years. Our special focus is on the role of WMC in the housing markets studied from the perspectives of the demand, supply and local governance factors. As specific aims, we 1) synthesize the key barriers and enabling factors for the WMC market growth; 2) identify the actors addressed in the existing studies connected to the WMC market development, and 3) summarize research methods and analytical approaches used in the previous studies. As a systematic method to make literature searches in Web of Science and Scopus for years 2000–2020, we employed PRISMA guidelines. By using pre-determined keywords, our searches resulted in a sample of 696 articles, of which 42 full articles were after selection procedure included in-depth content analysis. Our results showed cost-efficiency gains from industrialized prefabrication and perceived sustainability benefits by consumers and architects enabled a WMC market diffusion. The lack of experiences on the WMC, and path dependencies to use concrete and steel continue to be key barriers for increased WMC. Although our research scope was the global WMC market development, most of the literature concerned the Nordic region. The key actors covered in the literature were businesses (e.g., contractors, manufacturers and architects) involved in the wood construction value-chains, while residents and actors in the local governance were seldomly addressed. Currently, case studies, the use of qualitative data sets and focus on the Nordic region dominate the literature. This hinders the generalizability of findings in different regional contexts. In the future, more research is needed on how sustainability-driven wood construction value-chains are successfully shaping up in different geographical regions, and how they could challenge the dominant concrete-based construction regime.

The concept of the bioeconomy is associated with sustainable development changes and involves transitions in both production and consumption within systems. Many of these transitions relate to using renewable resources, like forest biomass, to meet basic needs, such as food, energy and housing. However, consumers must become aware of the forest-based bioeconomy so that they can contribute to the transition. This study aims to contribute to an understanding of this matter that may lead to social acceptance of the forest-based bioeconomy and, in particular, to Swedish consumer awareness of the concept and of a particular product (wooden multi-story buildings) representing the forest-based bioeconomy. The results show consumer awareness of forest sequestration capacity but less awareness of the connection to the forest-based bioeconomy and the role of wooden multi-story buildings. The results indicate a slow transition that is hindered by path dependence and limited comprehension among consumers of the effects of their choices for a forest-based bioeconomy. This study provides valuable insights for future studies of how consumer awareness and social acceptance of the forest-based bioeconomy are interconnected.

Increased awareness of sustainable development in the construction industry and current housing shortages have contributed to market opportunities for wooden multi-storey construction (WMC) in the Nordic countries. However, the market development has been slow despite access to forest products and a political ambition to transform to a low carbon society. The aim of this study is to explain enabling factors for municipalities in Sweden to create institutional conditions that stimulate local market development of WMC. A comparative case study of municipal efforts to establish WMC norms has been conducted pointing to the importance of relationships, in so-called public private partnerships (PPP). These partnerships serve as long-lasting relations in which development processes can manage challenges relating to, for example, lack of professional experience in WMC and dated material understandings of wood as a construction material. In the Sustainable Development Goals, PPP represent enabling conditions for sustainable system transformations.

The ongoing climate change is closely related to greenhouse gas emissions from industries. One of the contributors to these sustainability challenges is the house construction industry. Although residential and commercial construction is needed, the production practices needs to be altered in order to meet sustainability objectives. This licentiate dissertation focuses on conditions for wooden multi-storey construction (WMC) in a Swedish context. It explores the conditions for market development for residential WMC. The dissertation focuses on corporate perspectives, but it also integrates the role of end-consumers. A systematic literature review served as an orientation before conducting empirical case studies analysis. With an understanding of the industrial norm, currently reflected in materials such as concrete and steel, the empirical studies focused on wooden multi-storey construction case studies and end-consumer’s perceptions. These case studies indicate that a transition to WMC is hindered by path dependence, strong market positions for the currently used materials, and dated understandings of wood as a construction material. In the production process of residential construction, wood or other material, the end-consumer, the resident of an apartment in the house to be, is relatively anonymous. This is a reflection of a product dominant logic of the value chain where the end-consumer is a buyer or renter of an apartment. Enabling factors for further WMC market development that were verbalised by the case study respondents are captured in four factors: the properties of wood in a pre-fabrication setting, shorter erection times on site, fewer transports, and awareness of legislative sustainability demands. The case study interviewees report focusing on efficiency and technical properties in their business models - and limited concern for marketing communication and co-creation with end-consumers. The new legislation was seen as an enabling factor for the WMC market development by the case interviewees. It is clear that a sustainability transition, such as a gradual change to renewable construction materials that have carbon capture capacity, will take time. Business models that foster co-creation of value in public private partnerships may enable a WMC market development. The development of new legislation and increased awareness of sustainability aspects in construction is seen as future research areas for sustainable development.