[4] Koch obtained his PhD degree in wood science from the University of Hamburg in 1998.

In the area of wood anatomy, he has been the initiator of the mobile apps, CITESwoodID and macroHOLZdata, which are commonly used by educational personnel, and professionals in wood industry and trade for the identification of tropical and non-tropical timbers.

[8][9] In 2008, he was elected as a fellow at the International Academy of Wood Science for his scientific work.

In addition, Koch is an appointed advisor of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV),[10] specifically on matters of subtropical and tropical timbers including certification and CITES regulations.

[12] Until April 2024, Koch has published and presented more than 200 research works in several referred journals, conferences and symposia, and possesses more than 4,000 citations at Google Scholar.