Financing of cluster activities from EU funds
– Slovenian Experience
VI. Cluster Conference
Opatija, 22.11.2012
WOOD AS BASIS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Slovenia is the third most wooded country in EU, with 1.2 million ha of
forests, or 62% of Slovenia.
The growing stock of Slovenian forests amounts to 322,194,929 cubic
metres (coniferous trees 46.62%, deciduous trees 53.38%).
In Slovenian forests there is an annual increment of 7,868,521 cubic
metres of wood.
The cut falls behind the possible one and it amounts to 70% of it and
40% of current increment.
The Forest based branch is
ranked among sectors of priority
for Slovenia!
WOOD PROCESSING AND FURNITURE BRANCH
In Slovenian WP&F Industry (C16 in C31) around 886 companies were
operated in 2011 which revenue generated amounted to 1.005 million
EUR. This represent around 4,3% of revenue generated in production
sector C.
In the Slovenian WP&F Industry around 11.950 workers were employed
in the year 2011. This represent around 7,2% of all employees in
production sector C.
Main export/import markets:
 EU and Balcan
 E Europa, Russia and CE Asia
 Mediterran and Middle East
 BRIC
WOOD PROCESSING AND FURNITURE BRANCH
The main export articles:
 Residence Furniture (kitchens, rooms, upholstery, chairs and
tables,..)
 Prefabricated wooden houses
 Building Joinery (windows, doors,..)
 Wood based panels, glued construction elements, veneer, ..
 Custom made furniture for objects / Engineering
 Primary wood products (sawn wood and elements, biomass,..)
CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT
The Wood Industry Cluster (WIC) was established by wood-processing
and forestry companies in the year 2000 with aim to enhancing
cooperation between manufacturers and research institutions and
carrying out common R&D projects to strengthening theirs
competitive position.
Slovenia had active cluster development programme in years 20002003. After government changes the Cluster policy and development
programme stopped in 2005.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the WIC is to facilitate cooperation between companies
and R&D institutions, with the aim of strengthening theirs
competitive position.
The main fields of WIC activities are;
•
Organizing and leading of common projects for groups of
companies.
•
Carrying out support actions for cluster members.
•
Participating in international projects.
•
Facilitating participation of the companies in the EU R&D
programs.
•
Providing Technology Transfer, exploitation of RTD
innovations in to the companies.
•
Support to internationalization of the cluster members
•
Organizing trainings
and
CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT
After the national Cluster development programme stopped, the main
part of newly established clusters cease down activities and just few
clusters survive until today. All surviving clusters assure existence with
trainings, internationalization and RTD funds (mainly EU).
Today WIC sources of financing are 100% from projects and from
activities for cluster members.
Recently, 27+90 companies and 5 of the most important sector
research and educational institutions are WIC members.
WIC members jointly contribute at different projects, which are chosen
in accordance with the needs of member companies.
There exist very close relationship between WIC and CCIS-Wood
Processing and Furniture Association. Namely WIC provide for CCISWPFA service of project management, some research and organization
of events.
FINANCING
PROGRAMME
FINANCING
PROJECT FINANCING
CONNECTION
WITH BRANCH
ASSOCIATION
Grants - SI
Grants - EU
Business incomes
Memberships
2000-2002
2003-2005
CLUSTER POLICY
CEASE DOWN
2006-2008
FIRST EU
PROJECTS
2009-2011
EXPANDING
PROJECT
ACTIVITIES
EU FUNDS
To be successfully in accessing the EU funds;
•
Clarify what benefits for the membership you will follow in EU
projects
•
Take decision to take active part in EU project, aware your
members, assure appropriate human resources
•
Look around for suitable programmes, funds and calls
•
Join to adequate networks, EU associations,.. to become part of
active networks which generate proposals. Also some luck needed.
•
Be a good partner and good learner, acquire confidence of
networks members. Become familiar with the EU projects schemes.
•
Take care to achieve you primary goals (funds, knowledge, new
projects,..)
•
Transfer new knowledge to your members, bridge RTD<->Business
gap.
Be courage and persistant
•
EXPERIENCE & COMPETENCE
WIC has organized and coordinated over 50 collective projects and
several hundred meetings/trainings/events till now.
Beside this WIC has been involved in several international projects from
6.FP, 7.FP, Eureka, LdV, CORNET Era-Net, SEE Programme,... on
some of them WIC act as coordinator.
It has established close contacts with most of existing Slovenian
educational, research, development and supporting organizations
and international networks in forest-based sectors.
The professional WIC office staffs have more than 22 years of working
experience in the wood-working sector, especially in the fields of
technology, project management, R&D, clustering and in TQM.
They have also an international certificate for project management
awarded by International project management association – IPMA.
NETWORKNIG
WIC take part in several networks:
•
Southeast and Central European Network of Forest-Based Clusters
•
TriNet Innovation Hub – interdisciplinary network of wood,
construction and polymere clusters.
•
Slovenian National Center of Clusters and Networks
•
Slovenian Forest-Based Technology Platform
•
The Innovawood – European network to supporting transfer of
innovation in the Forest, Wood-based and Furniture industries
sector
•
WoodWisdom Era Net - European R&D network on the field of
Forestry and Wood processing
REFERENCES
WIC has considerable experiences in the field of collaborating in and
managing of international RTD projects.
At the moment we are involved in 6 ongoing RTD projects.
ID:WOOD
REFERENCES
WIC has collaborated also in several branch strategical activities;
• Strategy of development of Slovenian wood processing and furniture
branch (2000)
• The Slovenian Forest-Based Technology Platform(2005)
• Consolidation of the branch network of supporting organizations
(2008-2009)
• Starting points for the restructuring of Slovenian wood-processing
industry (2011)
• Action plan to increase the competitiveness of the forest-wood chain
in Slovenia in 2020 (2012)
CONTACTS
Dimiceva 13
1504 Ljubljana, Slovenia
T: +386 1 5898 284
F: +386 1 5898 100
E-mail: grozd@sloles.com
Web: http://cluster.sloles.com
Mr Igor Milavec, Director
Mr Bernard Likar, Advisor