NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2019

There were many workshops and reconciliations in the framework of the Innowood project in 2018. Several studies and research activities were carried out about potential technologies and consumer trends.

Project members tried to make use of the cross-border position of the project by building connections between Austrian and Hungarian business enterprises, educational institutions and students. Concerned parties had the opportunity to confront their opinions at six different events from February and their remarks were used to form the development directions – niche segments – of the Innovation Camp in May. It is impossible to define development directions from the results during one workshop so there were six more meetings held from the beginning of April for this purpose for students, lecturers and entrepreneurs.

The purpose of these meetings was for the participants to define the problems to be solved in the furniture and wood architecture industry. Another aim was to inform future mentors and mentees of the Innovation Camp about the results of former workshops. Issues about functionality, design, vision were analysed in connection with the products to be developed as well as the problems they might solve in the furniture industry.

During the 5-day Innovation Camp organized at the beginning of May and at the end of September dozens of ideas were outlined by students, with the help of their mentors, and six out of these were used to prepare a prototype.

Study trips in 2018:

  • 2018 March: One-day study trip – Sopron-Thomasberg (IKEA, F-List)
  • 2018 April: Study trip to Finland, to study the activities of the Woodpolis Wood Industry Cluster
  • 2018 April: Study trip to Milan – visiting CATAS quality management institutions, taking part in one of the greatest wood industry fairs, the Salone Del Mobile, taking a look at the unique showrooms of Fourisalone
  • 2018 June: Study trip to Upper Austria – getting an insight at the most innovative, most interesting wood industry enterprises in Upper Austria: Speedmaster GmbH, Altholz, SFK Tischler, Obermayr Holzkonstruktionen GmbH, Schachermayer GmbH, Roomle GmbH, MHC – Furniture and Wood Architecture Cluster of Upper Austria, Steininger Designers GmbH, PANEUM – Wunderkammer des Brote.