The Trees and Timber Institute of the National Research Council was created in September 2002 by the merging of three previous institutes: the Institute for the Propagation of Tree Species (IPSL), the Institute of Wood Research (IRL) and the Institute of Wood Technology (ITL). It is the biggest Italian institute for research in the wood-forest sector.
The staff of IVALSA comprises 80 people, divided between the four branches in Trento, Florence, Grosseto and Catania. The research activities cover the technological development  of wood, building, dendrochronology and preservation of the cultural heritage, protection and valorisation of the forests, assistance for companies, education and documentation service.
The laboratories are equipped with innovative and advanced testing machinery and perform activities of consultancy and certification.
IVALSA collaborates with many Universities for the accomplishment of master or doctoral theses and participates in many national and European research projects. Moreover, IVALSA takes part in standardising processes for the entire area of wood on both the national and European level.

IVALSA is a meeting place for scientific and technical exchanges; the natural reference point for the wood sector and for whoever is dealing with wood as a specialist, researcher, designer or building contractor.