Competitiveness embodied in wood

WE ARE ACTIVE IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:

The Wood Industry Cluster serves as a bridge connecting one third of people employed in forestry and wood-processing industry in Slovenia and in the most important Slovenian wood research institutions. We join forces to work in different international and Slovenian development projects us hand-pick by taking into account the needs of member companies. The common denominator of all activities is commitment to improve competitiveness of the cluster members. The Wood Industry Cluster works hand-in-hand with GS- Association of Wood and Furniture Industry and delivers the bulk of marketing activities for it and prepares co-ordinates and carries out a wide array of international projects having beneficial effects on the industry and its key players.

OUR PRIORITY OBJECTIVES ARE:

Development breakthrough into the knowledge-based competitiveness segment
Carrying out common development projects and mobilising funding provided under international and national tenders
Collective acquisition of knowledge and knowledge transfer (training, knowledge sharing, participation in projects)
Common solutions to achieve convergence with EU directives (environment, quality)
Liaisoning and networking with sister institutions in the EU and South-Eastern Europe

SECTIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION:

Networking and Integration of National Programmes in the Area of Wood Material

Science and Engineering

PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL AREA:

WoodWisdom Era Net2 project – networking and integration of national wood-related programmes
InnovaWood Network
SCENet FB Clusters – wood-working companies network
TCI - global network for practitioners, policy makers, researchers and business leaders working towards improving competitiveness in regions and clusters

BEST PRACTICE EXAMPLE

The wood industry cluster mostly engages in co-ordination activities on behalf of the cluster, as well as the preparation, co-ordination and the project management of major joint and international projects. The employees working in the cluster office are highly qualified for the job: they hold the international certificate »Certified Project Manager by SloCert and IPMA«.

Until now, the Wood Industry Cluster has executed around 55 projects for groups of companies and for individual enterprises and more than 300 meetings with approximately 4,500 participants. In addition, until now, the Cluster has co-ordinated i.e. it has taken part in the preparation of several project proposals (7.OP, CORNET, EUREKA, LdV, ERA-NET, Norwegian financial mechanism, structural funds, ...) and it acts as a co-ordinator of international projects.

In addition, we successfully collaborate in several international networks (WoodWisdom Era Net2, Innovawood, TCI, and the network of wood clusters of Central and South-East Europe, ...).

The Wood Industry Cluster is recognised in the EU and South-East Europe in its area of operation as a credible and trustworthy partner.

Reference development projects:

CORNET, VOClessWOOD, Application of advanced wood coating materials and techniques to meet the requirements of the EU VOC-directive,
LdV, KnowFORwood, Transfer of innovative practices and the Vocational Education & Training to Slovenian Wood Sector.
E! 3558 EUREKA Elisa, Electro spindle with intelligent solutions and applications.
LdV, InnovaWoodEDU, Expanding good practice and Education and the Forestry-Wood Chain sector through the InnovaWood network.
LdV, I-MODEL, Business model for implementing of innovation processes and company performing and EU.
Slovenian Research Agency - ARRS, Synthesis of binders and development of new coating systems with low value of volatile organic compound (VOC) for the wood industry.
6.FP-SSA, WOODISM (www.tts.fi/woodism), Improving competitiveness of the forest-wood-chain by supporting SME participation and FP6 and FP7 projects.