Press release: Award for wood scientist

No. 47 - 20.04.2026

Professor Holger Militz at Göttingen University receives Marcus Wallenberg Prize

Professor Holger Militz at the University of Göttingen has been awarded the 2026 Marcus Wallenberg Prize. This honour, from the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation for International Scientific Collaboration, recognises Militz for his ground-breaking contributions to the research and industrial application of wood modification technologies. Considered the world’s most prestigious research award in this area, it recognizes scientific achievements which significantly broaden knowledge and technical development in forestry and wood industries. Following the format of the Nobel Prize awards, the award will be presented by the King of Sweden. The ceremony takes place in October 2026 in Stockholm.

Militz’ research themes include how the properties of wood can be adapted using specialized processes for a number of industrial requirements. According to a statement by the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, Militz has significantly advanced the fundamental understanding of how chemical modification processes improve wood properties across multiple hierarchical scales. His research has revealed mechanisms leading to improvements in dimensional stability and resistance to biological degradation. His research has contributed significantly to scaling up various wood modification processes to an industrial level. The result is wood products with exceptional durability and dimensional stability that remain both recyclable and non-toxic.

“Holger Militz’ research is an extremely important contribution to the sustainable use of wood,” says the President of the University of Göttingen, Professor Axel Schölmerich. “His commitment to training early career researchers and fostering international collaboration is shaping the future of materials science research in wood. The award is not only a testament to his outstanding scientific achievements but also a sign of the importance of the research conducted at our Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology in terms of climate protection and the future of humanity.”

Holger Militz, born in 1960, studied wood sciences at the University of Hamburg. In 1990, he earned his PhD at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He subsequently worked for several years at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the Foundation for Wood Research (SHR), and Wageningen University & Research (WUR). In 2000, he accepted a professorship in wood science at the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology at the University of Göttingen. His research focuses on wood preservation and wood infestation, as well as wood modification and wood drying. Militz is a member of numerous national and international committees. Awards include the Schweighofer Prize (2007), the Josef Umdasch Research Prize Vienna (2012), and the Ternryd Prize from Växjö University in Sweden (2016).

Contact:

Professor Holger Militz

University of Göttingen

Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology

Department of Wood Biology and Wood Products

Tel: +49 (0)551 39-23541

Email: holger.militz@uni-goettingen.de