Under the title ”Driving Forces and Perspectives for the Development of the CEI Wood Sector”, the CEI Business Forum organised under the BiH CEI Presidency, took place in Sarajevo on 16 December. Representatives of several companies and institutions from CEI countries, including the President of the Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH and a representative of the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, gathered in order to discuss issues and opportunities for the timber industry in the region. The CEI Deputy Secretary General and representative of the BiH CEI Presidency were also present at the Forum.
The Forum consisted of the following four panel sessions: “Infrastructure of Quality and Knowledge in Forestry and Wood Industry”, “Application of Modern Technologies and Materials for a Better Competitiveness”, “Creative Concepts to Accessing International Markets” and “Supporting the Wood Industry – Strategies, Funds, Programs”.
“Modernization” was one of the key-words in the Forum, referring to strategies for boosting the promising wood sector in the region, based on high-quality raw material in BiH and many other CEI countries. Besides the necessity for purchasing modern equipment and information technology from other countries, such as Italy, Germany or Austria, the participants concluded that the wood industry needed support and lobbying from the timber industry association, ministries and other institutions. Experts in the sector are almost exclusively educated in public institutions, which have proven to be effective in offering additional and practical training. Hence, timber companies have achieved good export performances and won prestigious international awards for design and quality, especially in the segment of furniture and prefabricated wooden buildings.
In order to increase the growth and development in the sector, cooperation and involvement in projects at international level is essential. The Forum offered the opportunity to exchange experience and information between companies and institutions as well as possible forms of future cooperation.
On the sidelines of the CEI Business Forum, the meeting of the BiH Chamber of Investment also took place.
The Forum consisted of the following four panel sessions: “Infrastructure of Quality and Knowledge in Forestry and Wood Industry”, “Application of Modern Technologies and Materials for a Better Competitiveness”, “Creative Concepts to Accessing International Markets” and “Supporting the Wood Industry – Strategies, Funds, Programs”.
“Modernization” was one of the key-words in the Forum, referring to strategies for boosting the promising wood sector in the region, based on high-quality raw material in BiH and many other CEI countries. Besides the necessity for purchasing modern equipment and information technology from other countries, such as Italy, Germany or Austria, the participants concluded that the wood industry needed support and lobbying from the timber industry association, ministries and other institutions. Experts in the sector are almost exclusively educated in public institutions, which have proven to be effective in offering additional and practical training. Hence, timber companies have achieved good export performances and won prestigious international awards for design and quality, especially in the segment of furniture and prefabricated wooden buildings.
In order to increase the growth and development in the sector, cooperation and involvement in projects at international level is essential. The Forum offered the opportunity to exchange experience and information between companies and institutions as well as possible forms of future cooperation.
On the sidelines of the CEI Business Forum, the meeting of the BiH Chamber of Investment also took place.