SHR

What SHR does

SHR (Stichting Houtresearch), operating as SHR B.V., is a Dutch independent research and testing institute founded in 1991 and headquartered in Wageningen, Netherlands. The institute specializes in wood-specific laboratory testing, certification, research, and training for the Dutch construction and wood-products sector. Its core offerings include accredited testing services delivered from an extensive in-house laboratory and test center, proprietary quality marks (SHR Tested Quality, STIP), and applied research on biobased construction, earthquake-resistant timber design, coatings, and durability.

SHR's technology base combines physical testing assets — a Resistograph R650 wood-resistance drill, a Xenon-light fast-weathering chamber, X-ray non-destructive testing, microscopic wood species identification, and outdoor test facilities for prefab façade elements — with proprietary standards work. The institute co-developed the F3O guideline for objective assessment of wooden pile foundations, owns the STIP sustainable-wood certification scheme (accepted for Dutch government procurement), and runs the Houtsoortenloket wood species identification service supporting EU Timber Regulation compliance. Digital tools include the warmteweerstand.nl U-value/Rc-value calculator.

SHR operates a diversified B2B professional services and licensing model. Revenue is generated from per-project laboratory testing, recurring annual re-assessment fees for SHR Tested Quality and KOMO-supported certifications, course tuition through SHR Academy and the De Houtbouw Opleider platform (e.g., basic wood module EUR 3,000, F3O course EUR 950), EVD (Explosion Safety Document) service days, and grant-funded research (EFRO, BioBuild, BIOISO, CO2FIT, Bamboo Europe). Customers span wood and construction product manufacturers, construction firms and municipalities, cultural heritage institutions, and wood-industry professionals and architects, with named enterprise customers including Koninklijke Ahrend, Flokk, and Gispen in furniture, and IFCO Funderingscontrole in foundation inspection.

Name

SHR

Legal name

SHR B.V.

Website

https://shr.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SHR is a Dutch wood research and testing institute (founded 1991, Wageningen) providing accredited laboratory testing, certification marks, and training for wood and construction product manufacturers, contractors, and municipalities in the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wood and Construction Materials Testing & Certification Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Wood Grading, Testing & Certification Services (IMAMABAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD)

Keywords

• Wood testing services
• Construction materials certification
• Timber research institute
• Wood quality marks
• Professional wood training

Headquarters

HQ city

Wageningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Testing Services: SHR conducts targeted testing of wood products, building materials, furniture, and construction elements in its accredited laboratory and test center in Wageningen. Testing covers material properties, durability, safety, air/water tightness, and compliance with Dutch and European standards. Testing fees are charged per project or product.
2. Training and Courses: SHR Academy offers professional training courses on wood applications, including 2-day wood species recognition courses, wood construction courses, airtightness measurement courses, foundation inspection courses, and specialized training on coatings, adhesives, and sealants. Courses are priced individually (e.g., basic module €3000, F3O course €950) and delivered in-person at SHR Wageningen or via De Houtbouw Opleider platform.
3. Certification and Quality Declarations: SHR issues quality declarations (SHR Tested Quality), manages the STIP wood certification scheme, and conducts annual re-assessments for certified companies, generating recurring revenue from certified clients.
4. EVD (Explosion Safety Document) Services: SHR organizes EVD-days where companies receive assistance in drafting their required Explosion Safety Document per Dutch Arbowet (occupational health law) for wood processing businesses. This is offered through De Houtbouw Opleider course platform.
5. Consulting and Research: SHR provides consulting on wood applications, durability, construction design, and sustainability. The institute participates in subsidized research projects (e.g., EFRO, BIOISO) and European collaborative projects (BioBuild, Bamboo Europe, CO2FIT) where funding supports R&D activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SHR (Stichting Houtresearch) is a Dutch testing and knowledge institute that provides accredited laboratory testing, certification, applied research, and professional training for the wood and construction materials sector. Its offerings span material property and durability testing, quality declarations (SHR Tested Quality, STIP), expert consulting on timber construction and sustainability, and structured training programs delivered through the SHR Academy and the De Houtbouw Opleider course platform. The institute serves manufacturers, construction firms, municipalities, and heritage organizations with a focus on compliance, durability, and innovation in bio-based building.

Product overview

SHR (Stichting Hout Research) is a Dutch testing and knowledge institute for the construction and construction-related products sector. The organization operates as a platform of interconnected services: an accredited testing center and laboratory in Wageningen for product testing and certification; the SHR-tested Quality and STIP certification marks; a research division covering biobased construction, earthquake-resistant building, and sustainability; the SHR Academy offering professional training courses including EVD documentation; and the De Houten Waarheid knowledge platform. Digital tools such as the warmteweerstand.nl calculator and the Houtsoortenloket wood species service complement the physical testing and training offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STIP: SHR Timber Certification - a quality mark for sustainable wood use in the Netherlands, launched in 2017
• SHR Tested Quality
• De Houten Waarheid

Products and services

• Testing Services (Testen) Accredited laboratory and test-center testing of wood products, building materials, furniture, and construction elements for material properties, durability, safety, air/water tightness, and compliance with Dutch and European standards. Customers include manufacturers, construction firms, and public-sector clients.
• Research and Consulting Services (Onderzoek) Applied research and consulting on wood applications, durability, construction design, bio-based construction, earthquake-resistant building, and sustainability. Delivered as subsidized research projects (EFRO, BIOISO) and European collaborative projects (BioBuild, Bamboo Europe, CO2FIT) and as client-funded consulting engagements.
• SHR Quality Marks (SHR-keurmerken) Certification marks issued to products and companies meeting specified quality and performance standards, including the SHR Tested Quality mark for independently tested products and the STIP sustainability certification for sustainable wood producers. Annual re-assessment is required to maintain certification.
• SHR Academy Training Courses (Cursussen) Professional training courses on wood species identification, wood construction, facade cladding, airtightness measurements, foundation inspection, coatings, adhesives, and sealant application. Delivered in person at SHR Wageningen and via the De Houtbouw Opleider course platform.
• Explosion Safety Document (EVD) Service Expert-assisted preparation of the Explosion Safety Document required by the Dutch Arbowet (occupational health law) for wood-processing companies. Delivered through scheduled EVD-days at SHR Wageningen.
• Houtsoortenloket (Wood Species Identification Service) Dedicated service providing rapid wood species identification to support compliance with the EU Timber Regulation and traceability of wood placed on the European market. Uses SHR's microscopic wood species identification capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 companies helped with Explosive Safety Documents (EVD) per Dutch Arbowet
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saint GobaincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Saint Gobain is a project partner in the BIOISO subsidy project under EFRO 2021-2027 Oost Nederland. Together with Plantics and SHR, the consortium is developing a fully bio-based binder to produce 100% natural, circular insulation materials. The project runs 2.5 years to April 2027 with a total budget of 2.8 mln EUR.
• PanticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Pantics is a project partner in the BIOISO project, collaborating with Saint Gobain and SHR on developing fully bio-based binders for circular insulation materials. SHR's role focuses on testing the new bio-binder and insulation material properties. The project draws on Plantics' bio-resin technology.
• TU/e (Technische Universiteit Eindhoven)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024SHR co-finances the Chair of Timber Structures at TU/e with SKH, with Professor André Jorissen (SHR) serving as part-time professor. The two institutions co-organize the annual 'Construeren met Hout' research afternoon and collaborate on student projects and dissertations.
• De Houtbouw OpleidercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024De Houtbouw Opleider (dehoutbouwopleider.nl) serves as the course platform through which SHR distributes its training programs, including the EVD-day (Explosion Safety Document) courses and other wood construction training. SHR refers clients to this platform for enrollment in all courses.
• European Consortium (Bamboo Europe project)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023The Bamboo Europe project ran from March 2023 to September 2024, involving designers, companies, and knowledge institutions researching the development of new ecologically and economically sustainable applications for European-grown bamboo, creating certifiable value chains from cultivation to end products for construction, interiors, and textiles.
• European Consortium (CO2FIT project)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The CO2FIT project ran for three years, concluding successfully at the end of 2023. SHR and partners developed circular construction materials based on Plantics bio-resins and natural raw materials. The project created fully renewable building materials: board material and insulation.
• European Consortium (BioBuild project)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2018SHR is part of a European consortium of 13 companies and research institutions developing bio-composite building materials within the EU BioBuild project (High Performance, Economical and Sustainable Biocomposite Building Materials). The project focuses on facade elements and structural bio-composites. SHR won the innovation prize in the Construction category at the JEC Composites Show & Conferences in Paris in 2015.
• F3O (Stichting Folder voor Funderings- en Overige kennisuitwisseling)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018SHR chairs F3O, the foundation for foundation knowledge exchange, which developed the first F3O guideline for objective assessment and evaluation of wooden pile foundations under buildings. SHR leads the guideline commission and provides the wood component of the F3O training course.
• SKH (Stichting Kennisinstituut Hout)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2017SHR and SKH operate as closely related knowledge institutions in the Dutch wood sector, jointly managing platforms such as 'De Houten Waarheid' (The Wooden Truth). They co-organize events including 'Construeren met Hout' research afternoons with TU/e and the VHC, and collaborate on certification schemes including KOMO. SKH and SHR jointly developed the bamboo assessment basis (BGS) and BRL 1708 for bamboo products.
• PreZerominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2015Within the MOOI project CO2FIT, the SHR project team visited PreZero's building and demolition material separation facility in Groningen. PreZero provided insight into waste sorting operations relevant to the development of fully renewable construction materials.
• CBM (Branchevereniging voor interieurbouw en meubelindustrie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015CBM is the trade association for the interior construction and furniture industry. SHR collaborates with CBM on furniture testing standards, developed the SHR furniture surface classification scheme jointly, and co-initiated the Fieldlab Meubelindustrie. CBM represents the wood and furniture sector in standards development.
• Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Leiden)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015SHR supports growth ring research on 4,000-year-old tree remains from Mauritius Island in the context of the Dodo Research Programme, conducted by Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden.
• kiEMT (Kennis en Innovatie in Energie- en Milieutechnologie)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 November 2014SHR participates as a member in kiEMT, a network of companies, governments, and knowledge institutions in East Netherlands focused on energy and environmental technology innovation.
• Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg (SRAL)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2014SHR participated in the Wood Science and Technology congress organized by SRAL in Maastricht, sharing expertise on wood preservation and detection methods for cultural heritage applications.
• NEN (Nederlands Normalisatie-instituut)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014SHR participates in NEN standards committees including NEN 5087 (burglar-resistant facade elements) and contributed to NPR 9998 on earthquake-resistant timber frame construction. SHR hosted the 65th meeting of CEN/TC 139/WG 2 'Coating systems for wood' in Wageningen in March 2024, attended by 15 experts from European countries.
• COST Action IE 0601 (European Wood Culture in Cultural Heritage)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011European scientists gather within COST Action IE 0601 to exchange knowledge on wood in cultural heritage. Results are published at woodculther.com. SHR collaborates with Italian partners (Venice) on the chapter about wooden pile foundations for an end symposium book.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SKH (Stichting Kennisinstituut Hout): SKH is the Dutch knowledge institute for wood that co-operates the De Houten Waarheid platform with SHR, co-finances the TU/e Timber Structures chair, and jointly develops KOMO-attested product schemes. It is the most directly comparable peer in terms of services, customers, and Dutch wood-sector focus.
• Kiwa: Kiwa is a major Dutch-based testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) organization with deep involvement in construction product certification, CE marking, and KOMO attestation. It competes with SHR for many of the same manufacturer-side certification and material testing engagements in the Dutch construction value chain.
• Element Materials Testing: Element Materials Testing is a global materials testing specialist offering mechanical, durability, and environmental testing across construction and industrial sectors. It directly parallels SHR's accredited-laboratory testing model, though it serves a much wider materials portfolio beyond wood.

Broad incumbents

• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas is a global TIC incumbent offering building product testing, certification, and construction-related compliance services. While it does not specialize in wood like SHR, it competes for adjacent testing and certification mandates from large manufacturers and offers a model for what scaled TIC players look like.
• SGS: SGS is one of the world's largest testing, inspection, and certification companies with extensive construction materials and building product testing capabilities. As a broad incumbent it overlaps with SHR in construction-product compliance testing but operates at vastly greater scale across geographies.
• TÜV Rheinland: TÜV Rheinland is a global TIC incumbent with material testing, building product certification, and sustainability verification services. It overlaps with SHR on building product compliance testing but serves a much broader portfolio of industries and geographies.
• Intertek: Intertek is a global TIC company providing testing, inspection, and certification for building products, materials, and consumer goods. Its building-product testing practice competes for cross-border manufacturer testing work, providing a relevant incumbent benchmark.
• RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: RISE is Sweden's state-owned research and testing institute with extensive wood, bioeconomy, and construction materials testing capabilities. It parallels SHR's combination of testing, certification, and applied research but operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope across Nordic markets.

Regional players

• Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology (Norsk Treteknisk Institutt): Norsk Treteknisk Institutt is the Norwegian wood technology institute providing testing, certification, and research for the Scandinavian wood industry. It mirrors SHR's wood-specific testing and certification mandate but operates in a different geography with its own standards and customer base.
• Fraunhofer WKI (Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut): Fraunhofer WKI is the German applied research institute for wood research, conducting material testing, durability research, and certification work. It is highly comparable to SHR in scope and methodology but serves the German and broader EU wood and construction market rather than the Dutch one specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SHR