Description (EN): With its surplus of forests resources the wood sector in the SEE area presents significant potentials still to be exploited. In most of SE Europe countries, wood sector is rather fragmented, lacking an organic policy approach that would create the basic conditions for its development. The area involved in the project is characterized by a clear dual spatial pattern, where some of the regions involved managed to develop their sectoral potentials reaching, in some cases, levels of excellence, while other regions/countries involved still struggle to tune up the right support approach and, in some cases, to set up basic support frameworks. Wood sector is showing very low R&D investments and scarce innovation levels in most of the involved countries. SMEs lack access to technology and knowledge and record a poor internationalization. Sector data show significant opportunities for recovery by reducing gaps in terms of productivity and capital formation. In this scenario,IDWOOD aims to promote and foster innovation and competitiveness of SMEs in the wood sector in the SEE area by sharing and transferring technical and organizational know-how to enable local support organizations (wood clusters, wood tech centres and RDAs) to address structural deficits of SMEs and enhance innovation potentials. In particular, project objectives are: building up and consolidating transnational network of wood-furniture clusters, wood technology centres, RDAs and knowledge poles (Universities, Industrial design centres); fostering innovation skills in the wood sector supporting structures; creating new functions and competencies on design, intellectual property and environmental issues; bridging gaps between the productive sector and knowledge poles; rising SME capacity to implement innovation processes. To achieve the objectives, envisaged project activities in 9 Countries are: - need analysis and development strategies considering the wood chain, the needs of the support organizations and the institutional and policy framework; - innovation capacity building trough specific courses for wood support organizations on cluster management and other topics (design, innovation, sector legislation); set up partnerships between support organizations and knowledge poles ensuring transfer of knowledge to SMEs; implementation of competitiveness development projects for the common interest of local SMEs; dissemination events on innovation/design; testing the new acquired capacities involving SMEs; - strengthening the network transnational cooperation capacity (transnational knowledge clustering) by solving at transnational level specific emerged SMEs problems; by producing at transnational level a set of thematic dossiers on specific themes (design, innovation, environment, legislation, project results); by forming a strategic programming laboratory aimed at analyzing the forthcoming EU cohesion policy and developing a Network Action Plan as the basis for further common actions. IDWOOD workplan foresees to deliver and achieve the following outputs and results: Outputs: 12 Regional analysis and need assessment of wood sector; 17 development plans for wood technology centres/wood clusters; 12 guidelines for sector development; 3 courses for cluster managers; 4 courses on innovation, design, environment; 9 agreements between support organisations-knowledge poles; 9 competitiveness development projects; 27 technical dissemination and promotional events; 180 cases of SMEs problem solving; 18 open days; 5 thematic dossiers; 2 transnational conferences; 1 network action plan; Results: improved capacities of support organisations; transnational cooperation between support organisations, knowledge poles and productive sector; increased information flow towards SMEs; innovation, design and knowledge transferred to SMEs; sustainability of the transnational network/support system and SMEs cooperation after project end; increased knowledge of market opportunities.
Read more Achievements (EN): D:WOOD Thematic Dossiers
Thematic Dossiers constitute one of the ID:WOOD tools made available to provide partners, stakeholders and SMEs with an insight into some of the relevant technical aspects for the sector and to strengthen the knowledge flow between the reference centers, the stakeholders and the SMEs.
The Thematic Dossiers is a series of 5 on-line technical publications dedicated to specific sub-sections of the wood sector (Sawmill, Construction Material, Furniture) and to organizational aspects of the sector (Clustering) while the
number 5 is specifically dedicated to one of the activities of the project, the Transnational Support Action, a technical assistance provided to partners and SMEs by the international experts involved in the ID:WOOD project. The Dossiers were edited by the competent experts of the ID-WOOD international working groups.
The Sawmill Dossier was coordinated and edited by the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. It offers an in deep view on the latest developments in the field of wood logistic from forestry control to the wood log chain and a comprehensive overview of standards and certifications in the field of sawmill production in line with the EU Timber Regulation. A schematic analysis of the available timber stock and of the sawmill capacities in the SEE region is offered to the reader.
The Construction Dossier was coordinated and edited by Holzcluster Steiermark. It focuses on wood buildings from different perspectives ranging from measures to improve the energy performance of timber buildings to the themes relative to multi storey wooden buildings as an opportunity in residential and public construction. In recent years, wood has rapidly developed into a high-tech construction material and is now used for constructions of hitherto unimaginable dimensions. It also has unique ecological qualities and, like no other construction material, fulfils the growing demands for the efficient use of resources in the construction process.
The Furniture Dossier was coordinated and edited by CATAS Spa. Its ambition is to depict the European scenario in which furniture is positioned from the technical, normative and legislative points of view, and how these factors, amongst others, are driving the sector towards the future. This is with respect to the current situation of the countries involved in order to try to propose a useful approach to the market (European or other) to the related relevant companies.
The topics of this dossier focus mainly on the technical aspects, from all perspectives, that the furniture industry has to face nowadays, i.e. consumer needs, standards, laws, and all of the interconnections among all these different aspects. The dossier has a specific focus on application of new materials in furniture: nanoparticles, self healing polymers and new wood based materials.
The Clustering Dossier was coordinated and edited by Polo Tecnologico di Pordenone. It constitute a comprehensive picture of what a cluster should be, which are its competitive advantages and which are the possible development approaches for clusters.
The Clustering Dossier was coordinated and edited by Polo Tecnologico di Pordenone. It constitute a comprehensive picture of what a cluster should be, which are its competitive advantages and which are the possible development approaches for clusters. The Clusters in the SEE region, transversely, transversely, have common problems localized mostly in the organizational process of the platform to SMEs and in the configuration of the business model. Furthermore, there is a general need to implement an organizational model of the distribution platform able to catch the domestic and foreign markets.
The Transnational Support Action Dossier gathers a selection of technical contributions from various experts which answers specific technical questions posted by SMEs or by Support institutions.
ID:WOOD Network Action Plan
Based on a targeted approach ID:WOOD partners have identified two specific thematic areas to be targeted within new common initiatives to develop the wood sector potentials: technology transfer and design. Through the Strategic programming Laboratory the ID:WOOD partners are able to share not only the needs but also methodological approaches.
Furthermore, with the Action Plan the partners commit to support the ID:WOOD Network in designing new project proposals, keep an active approach toward the Network exchanging information and experiences, inform the Network members about financing opportunities, provide support to the Network in the phases of project design, inform the Network about international conferences and workshops related to the sector.
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