Summary
Clustering knowledge, Innovation and Design in the SEE WOOD sector (ID:WOOD) Print

With its surplus of forests resources the wood sector in the SEE area presents significant potentials still to be exploited. In most of Southeast European countries wood sector is rather fragmented and there is a lack of organic policy approach that would create the basic conditions for its development.

However, some countries in this area managed to develop their sectoral potentials reaching levels of excellence, while other countries still struggle to tune up the right support approach. 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.

ID:WOOD 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 to address structural deficits of SMEs and enhance innovation potentials.

Project objectives: building up and consolidating transnational network of wood-furniture clusters, wood technology centres, RDAs and knowledge poles; 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 SMEs capacity to implement innovation processes.

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 on market opportunities.