The term technology is frequently used in every-day communication and in the specific areas of producing goods and providing services. Technology comprises the science of knowledge and usage of tools and techniques or its systems, methods, organization and material products thereof. The meaning of the word technology itself as well as the specific meaning of the term wood technology has changed over the past centuries of industrialized production systems. The current paper analyses the development of wood technology over a period of about 300 years. Based on various COST Actions and the European Forest-sector Technology Platform current topics of wood technology are addressed and a future outlook is given.