Wood-TKI investment

Research institute collaboration in the field of wood processing has been developed in recent years, e.g. by increasing the systematic exchange of information, developing common infrastructures and services, and building a basis for jointly implemented business projects and testing services serving companies. UEF, Karelia and Luke that serve the wood industry have been significantly developed and operators in the area have a joint website, woodjoensuu.fi, through which the marketing of research, events and services goes relatively well. However, a number of challenges have been identified when working with companies, the answers to which require the development of already created models and the building of new capabilities. This requires both investments in the equipment base and the concentration of demo activities on offering more measurement units than before, because few industrial problems or other needs can be solved using a single device or method.

Puu-TKI proposal entity of two parallel projects develops the technical capabilities and agility of research and training units are developed to produce development services that serve wood industry companies and to promote the international recognition of the products of SMEs, in particular. In the investment section of the project pair, research and demo equipment will be updated for 1) the long-term durability of wood and new wood products, 2) the processing of biomass energy products and 3) the recycling of waste materials such as construction waste containing plastics.

In the investment project the emergence of business cooperation is promoted by updating the equipment base of project operators to enable planned development measures and even better public RDI-services.

The goal of the project is to share the equipment resources of the R&D operators in the area, increase the utilization rate and build closer cooperation than at present by developing practices and communication. As a result of the project, several companies in the area start product development cooperation with the University of Eastern Finland, Karelia University of Applied Sciences and/or Natural Resources Institute Finland, and this cooperation creates a mutual competitive advantage and information exchange.