Major Initiatives

TDI’s mission is to help advance practicable solutions to real-world problems in our built and natural environments. Our Major Initiatives are focused on building critical partnerships across sectors to help address complex and overlapping societal challenges, including megafires, sustainable practices in forestry and construction, local economic development, and affordable housing. Below are a few of our current Major Initiatives:

PNW Mass Timber Tech Hub

The Pacific Northwest Mass Timber Tech Hub, led by Oregon State University, aims to be a global leader in mass timber design, manufacturing, and construction.

By fulfilling this goal, we will equitably create resilient, well-paying jobs for rural and urban residents, increase housing production and affordability, lower wildfire risk and improve forest health, and reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint.

EDA Build Back Better with Mass Timber: the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition

In 2022 the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded 21 regional coalitions through the Build Back Better Regional Challenge. The Oregon Mass Timber Coalition, of which TDI is a founding member, was awarded $41.4 million to advance Oregon’s sustainable mass timber sector through investment in applied R&D, sustainable forestry, modular manufacturing and affordable housing.

NSF Engines: Advancing Mass Timber Technologies (OR, WA)

Advancing Mass Timber Technologies (OR, WA) is an NSF-funded, regional collaboration focused on creating a mass timber ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest that will drive and coordinate research and education innovations in architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing and forest management, to address social and environmental challenges in housing, workforce development, and natural resource stewardship.