On March 6, 2025, the Slovenian Wood Industry Day took place at the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Center, as part of the DOM fair, the central annual event of the Slovenian wood industry, which brought together leading players and experts in the field of wood industry on the topic of the current situation in key markets and a look at the upcoming so-called dual: sustainable and digital transition of the industry.

The event began with welcoming speeches by State Secretary Dejan Židan from the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, Tamara Zajec Balažič, Acting Director of SPIRIT Slovenia, and Vesna Nahtigal, Director General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.

State Secretary Dejan Židan said; “The wood industry plays a key role in the economic and sustainable development of Slovenia. By 2030, the Ministry of Forestry and Forestry plans to increase the competitiveness and added value of Slovenian wood products with an emphasis on technological modernization and the transition to a circular economy. In recent years, 76.2 million euros have been allocated to the wood industry, half of which is for increased wood processing.” He continued by highlighting the importance of the strategic “Implementation Document for Measures for the Development of the Wood Processing Industry by 2030” and announced the continuation of tenders, the promotion of wood and the promotion of green public procurement. He added that special attention is being paid to micro-enterprises, which are key to the economy. Simplified tenders are being prepared for them and connections with research institutions are being encouraged. He concluded; “In the coming years, the Ministry of Forestry and Forestry will promote domestic wood processing, with the aim of increasing employment and added value. Slovenian wood must remain in Slovenia and contribute to sustainable development.”

Tamara Zajec Balažič, acting director of SPIRIT Slovenia, highlighted the activities that the agency has been carrying out for more than a decade to promote wood and woodworking professions and to support companies in the woodworking industry in the internationalization of their business. “Our goal is to strengthen the visibility and raise the reputation of wood among both the professional and general public, and to increase awareness of its advantages. In recent years, we have also paid special attention to young people – especially students, as we want to get them excited about wood and present them with numerous career opportunities in the woodworking industry. I am pleased that we have many innovative woodworking companies with great development potential in Slovenia. Many of them have already paved their way to global markets – some also with the support of SPIRIT Slovenia, as we have successfully organized several joint appearances at international fairs and economic delegations in the field of woodworking. Wood represents an exceptional opportunity and future for Slovenia, which is why the agency will continue with various activities to promote wood in the future.”

“Despite Slovenia being rich in forests, last year the Ministry of Public Administration and Spatial Planning accelerated the issuance of building permits, which is key to the development of the industry. We are also actively participating in efforts to eliminate the economic underutilization of this natural resource. We could still process more wood into products with higher added value,” said Vesna Nahtigal, Director General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS). She sees this as a huge missed opportunity, as increased domestic processing would create new jobs, improve the competitiveness of the industry and contribute to sustainable development. She added that the GZS is working to improve the business environment. She also thanked “the Ministry of Economy for its good cooperation, with which we are working to address ineffective European regulations that burden our industry.” She also touched on the burden on the economy with additional contributions and taxes that the economy has suffered in recent years in addition to high energy prices, and expressed concern about possible additional increases and new contributions in the pension and healthcare reform.

The event continued with keynote speeches on trends and forecasts in key export markets for the wood and furniture industry, given by distinguished guests, including Matteo Grigolini, senior consultant at CSIL Milano, the central industry analytical house in Italy. Prof. Dr. Tjaša Redek from the Faculty of Economics and Prof. Dr. Leon Oblak from the University of Ljubljana, presented trends and forecasts at the Slovenian level in the Slovenian wood industry.

The professional focus of the event was on examples of the development of new wood materials, technologies and innovative use of wood, where presentations were given by prominent domestic experts, such as Dr. Urška Blumauer from the Institute of Civil Engineering, Prof. Dr. Miha Humar from the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Biotechnical Sciences, Dr. Gal Kušar from the Forestry Institute of Slovenia, and Tina Preac from Žiher hiš, Eva Rihter from the Rihter company and Tilen Bergant from the Smarti.eu company.

The highlight of the event was an open discussion with audience participation on the challenges of the dual: sustainable and digital transition and the resilience of companies to constant crisis events in the wider business environment. The discussion was attended by renowned experts such as Primož Lušina from Alples, Nataša Teraž Krois from Lumar IG, Dr. Aleš Ugovšek from M Sora, Tomaž Rogelj from Jelovica Hiš and Prof. Dr. Primož Oven from the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Biotechnical Sciences and Mojca Markizeti from the Center for Business Excellence at the Faculty of Economics Ljubljana. The round table was moderated by Irena Meterc, SPIRIT Slovenia, a public agency.

The key challenges and recommendations provided by the discussion were focused on three levels: companies, research and development (R&D) institutions and the state.

Companies should clarify what the dual transition means for them, invest more intensively in employee education and development of digital competences, and see digitalization and green sustainability as an opportunity to increase competitiveness. It is also crucial to develop competitive and sustainable technologies and actively cooperate with research institutions.

On the other hand, research and development institutions must strengthen cooperation with companies and offer them concrete support in introducing new technologies and transferring innovations into industrial practice.

The state should enable dedicated funding for the dual transition, not only for the purchase of machinery, but also for investments in knowledge, which will facilitate the transition for companies and reduce the risks associated with investments in sustainability and digitalization. It is important that the state clearly defines what the dual transition means and regularly provides relevant information to companies and the public. Last but not least, the state should further focus the education system on the development of digital and sustainable competences, so that the future workforce is better prepared for the challenges of the transition.

Conclusion of the discussion:

The dual transition in the wood industry requires coordinated action by all stakeholders. Companies must be proactive in investing and strategically thinking about the transition, R&D institutions must ensure effective knowledge transfer, and the state must create a favorable environment with financial support and appropriate legislation. Only through joint efforts will it be possible to accelerate the transition and ensure greater resilience of the industry to future challenges.

The last part of the event marked the 25th anniversary of the Wood Industry Cluster, which has made a significant contribution to the survival and development of the Slovenian wood industry in this often turbulent, transitional period for the industry. Awards were presented for many years of excellent cooperation and support for the Wood industry Cluster, which were received by: the Directorate for Wood Industry at the METS and SPIRIT Slovenia, a public agency, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, the Department of Wood Science and Technology at the University of Ljubljana and the Faculty of Design.

The event was coordinated by Marjana Grčman.

The event concluded with refreshments and networking for participants, and concluded with an individual tour of the fair.

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