European softwood markets have endured another challenging year but there is renewed hope for 2026, delegates at the International Softwood Conference (ISC) have heard in Norway. The October 22/23 event in Oslo was the 73rd edition of the ISC and was hosted by the Treindustrien, which co-organized the event with the two usual partners: the European Organization of the Sawmill Industry (EOS) and the European Timber Trade Federation (ETTF). The event drew over 260 participants from around the world. An economic overview of the sector was delivered by Johan Freij, who stressed the exceptional uncertainty facing the world today, with many trends pointing to structural inflation affecting economies for the years to come. On the brighter side, he said injections of cash into the European economy could revive the European outlook. Key points mentioned by speakers included challenges in terms of log supply, but promising signs, including the potential to improve log yields.