This chapter provides a general definition of the term “industrial production” and lists the main industrial sectors. A short history of the emergence and development of industrial production is given, culminating in the development of smart production. The emergence of different single technologies and processes within the forest-based industrial sector is briefly surveyed, and the different industrial branches are structured and introduced with specific key data. The forest-based industrial sector consists of different interconnected process chains to create a resource-efficient production system. These process chains are highlighted and a short analysis and introduction to each of these process chains is provided.