From Volume to Value: The First Global Plywood Forum Sparks a New Era of Innovation in Plywood and Formwork Systems

Pizhou, China

June 27, 2025

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Keywords: plywood innovation, engineered wood, modular formwork, sustainable construction, industrial innovation, value-driven sourcing, timber supply chain, custom plywood solutions, construction materials, lifecycle performance

The Innovation Imperative in Plywood and Formwork

In the wake of compliance and brand‐integrity discussions, Session 3—“From Volume to Value: Competing Through Innovation”—shifted the conversation to how plywood manufacturers can drive industrial innovation and formwork advancement.

Organized by Tribeca Innovations (US) and moderated by George Chew, the panel featured Jeff Wang, Executive Chairman of RILICO (Singapore/China), and Christopher Williams, Founder of Panda Panels (UK). Together, they charted a strategic pivot away from commoditized volume toward value‐driven, high‐performance plywood and modular formwork systems.

China’s Cost Challenge: The End of the Volume Advantage

George Chew set the stage by emphasizing the transformation underway:

“We’ve heard a lot today about compliance and trust, but I want to shift to something equally transformative: the move from high volume to high value.”

Jeff Wang responded with a stark market reality:

“China is no longer the cheapest manufacturing hub. Today, countries like Vietnam, Uganda and Tanzania have significantly lower costs in terms of raw materials and labor. So for Chinese manufacturers like us, the question becomes: how do we remain competitive without racing to the bottom on price?”

This acknowledgment marks a turning point: the old model of competing solely on volume and price is insufficient. Instead, value creation—through advanced materials, custom specifications, and lifecycle performance—becomes the differentiator.

Emerging Competitors and Compliance Gaps

Chew then invited Christopher Williams to assess global competition. Williams painted a nuanced picture:

“We’ve seen the same. I’ll admit, Vietnam is improving quickly, and there’s real potential there. But for now, they haven’t crossed the compliance threshold needed to seriously compete in regulated markets like the UK and EU. And remember—Vietnamese plywood is duty-free into the EU and UK, thanks to trade agreements. That gives them a 6% advantage over Chinese exports. But that benefit is largely offset by higher freight rates from Vietnamese ports, and especially by their lack of traceability infrastructure. India is interesting too—they’ve got a huge domestic market and aren’t overly focused on exports. The few that have approached us haven’t been able to meet European compliance standards.”

Here, Williams underscores that cost advantage alone fails without robust certification, traceability, and quality management—key requirements of sustainable construction and green building standards.

Innovation as Strategy: RILICO’s Response

Confronted with rising global competition, Jeff Wang detailed RILICO’s innovation roadmap:

“And the answer, for RILICO, is simple: we don’t compete on price—we compete through innovation. We’ve invested significantly in high-end machinery from Europe, and scale up human resource and experience talents to improve overall quality. It’s no longer just about quantity—it’s about how efficiently and reliably we can meet a client's specific requirements. And it’s important to say: we don’t see ‘Made in China’ as a limitation anymore. Our aim is for people to say ‘That’s RILICO’—and to know exactly what that means, regardless of where we’re based.”

RILICO’s strategy centers on:

Modern, automated production with European‐sourced machinery

Customized plywood specifications for demanding applications

Talent development to ensure consistent, high‐quality output

Brand positioning built on performance, not geography

This approach aligns with broader industrial innovation trends where agility and technical excellence trump scale alone.

Transforming Factories into Smart, Audit‐Ready Facilities

Chew invited Williams to reflect on how factory conditions have evolved:

“When I first visited China for plywood in the early 2000s, most mills were family-run, labor-intensive, and poorly ventilated. Health and safety? Nonexistent. What we’re seeing now from leading firms like RILICO is a complete transformation. Modern, mechanized, audit-ready factories. You’d be surprised how few countries can match that today.”

Williams emphasized that modern audit-ready facilities with integrated quality assurance systems give buyers confidence in both worker safety and product performance—cornerstones of ESG compliance and sustainable supply chains.

True Value: Performance Over Lifecycle

Williams illustrated how innovation translates into buyer trust:

“There was a time when everyone assumed Chinese plywood was just a low-cost, mass-market product. But over the past few years, we’ve seen companies like RILICO redefining what that looks like—moving from just supplying panels to delivering high cost performance ratio—true value for money. One of the key accounts we’re working on now—a major European DIY retailer—has some of the most demanding procurement standards I’ve ever encountered. I mean, we're talking about detailed sustainability documentation, worker health and safety audits, and formaldehyde emissions testing—all before they even consider a tender. RILICO passed every criterion. And that’s not common. Most mills would fail at documentation alone. And let me add: one of the reasons we were able to get the business initially for the previous supplier was because they were willing to build custom specifications. That kind of flexibility is not standard in the Chinese industry—and it’s where RILICO stands out.”

This case study underscores the shift: clients now demand performance metrics—from sustainability to chemical emissions—alongside custom engineering and consistent quality.

Lifecycle Innovation: RILICO’s Integrated Approach

Chew then asked Jeff to contextualize lifecycle performance:

“This project has been a turning point for us. It showed that clients now evaluate performance over the entire lifecycle—not just the initial invoice. Reusability, safety, sustainability, and loading efficiency now sit side-by-side with price in any serious tender. We also learned early that trying to sell what the mill wants to sell—instead of what the buyer actually needs—just doesn’t work anymore. That’s why RILICO integrated to produce exact specifications on demand. Innovation isn't just about tech—it's about mindset. About being proactive instead of reactive.”

Key elements of RILICO’s lifecycle innovation:

Reusable formwork panels (FORRASIA® system)

Safety‐first production and supply chain

Sustainability analytics embedded in product tracking

Custom specs tailored to buyer requirements

This holistic approach transforms plywood from a commodity into a strategic construction material.

From Volume to Value: A New Competitive Paradigm

Christopher Williams closed the discussion by showing how buyers reward innovation:

“And it’s not just the case with UK’s biggest DIY retailer. We’ve also won the trust of companies who previously tried to source from Malaysia and Indonesia, but those suppliers were unable—or unwilling—to customize. That opened the door for us. And that’s how you go from volume to value.”

He reiterated that value-driven sourcing—where performance, traceability, and customization outweigh unit price—will define the future of plywood and formwork systems.

Conclusion: The Path to Sustainable Construction Innovation

Session 3 of the First Global Plywood Forum made one thing clear: the era of chasing volume at all costs is over. In its place arises a new paradigm where industrial innovation, custom engineering, and lifecycle performance set the rules. For international buyers and construction leaders, the takeaway is simple:

1. Evaluate suppliers on innovation metrics—not just price.

2. Demand audit-ready facilities and detailed sustainability data.

3. Partner with producers who embed customization and traceability into every panel.

RILICO’s commitment to proactive innovation, and Panda Panels’ focus on buyer-driven solutions, together chart a roadmap toward sustainable plywood sourcing, modular formwork excellence, and value-driven construction materials.

Source with Confidence

Ready to move beyond commoditized volume and into a future of custom plywood solutions, modular formwork systems, and lifecycle performance?

Connect with RILICO:

info@rilico.com

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