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WoodWorks! – The woodcluster in Central Norway

About WoodWorks! Cluster

Foto: WoodWorks! Cluster/FotoKnoff

The name of the cluster is WoodWorks! and it is spelled with an exclamation mark. Because that is what wood does. It works. For our homes, for our mind, for our health and for the earth. We help create works in wood.

It´s not easy today to see that this is a very old industry. It is, but at the same time we are buzzing. New ideas, new solutions and totally new areas of use where wood or fiber can improve our living. Apart from a massive trend towards living in homes of wood, this material can now be used in medicine, in food, in animal and fish feed an much more.

So, our cluster developing in a very rapid speed. We now account for more than 75 members, representing a complete value chain from the forest to all before mentioned areas. Our heritage is the middle parts of Norway, we like to say the central parts…. But have members and projects all around Norway, in Scandinavia,- and we are becoming more and more international. This is due both to global market trends and cooperation on innovation and production.

Our main focus are on the three fields of Wood construction & buildings, on new areas of utilizing wood fibers and on creating value adding to the raw material (availability and qualities). In these 3 areas we do have more than 100 projects ongoing.

We are now in our second period of national support to further build this cluster and seek new opportunities with both commercial, public and R&D players.

You know- what was not very sustainable before Corona- will certainly not be so after. We strongly believe that the future is green and in favour of wood.

Foto: WoodWorks! Cluster/FotoKnoff

Good conditions

Trøndelag has the raw-material, industry and ability to explore the market. Well known R&D environment- and educational institutions in technology, economics, social sciences and other knowledge environments are present in the region and contribute to strengthened the competitiveness of the industry.

The cluster consists of players in the value-chain of forest, industry and building-construction – meaning industry players from the wood-based value-chains and partners from research and knowledge environments, local management and other support systems.

This broad partnership has until recently consisted of nearly 50 participants, which 15 has been core companies, 9 cluster companies, 12 R&D partners, as well as 12 collaborative partners.

The cluster applied at the beginning of September 2019 for status at the next cluster level – ARENA PRO, in the national cluster program Norwegian Innovation Clusters. During the prosess with developing the cluster, we have now reached a total of 75 companies, customers, suppliers and partners.

Contact is well established with national and international environments.

The forest networks LENSA, Innherred Skognettverk, and Skognæringa i Namdal participate in the cluster cooperation. The projects organize forestry operators who are working to gain increased activity among forest owners and all municipalities in Trøndelag as well as some municipalities in neighboring counties.

WoodWorks! Cluster works closely with Kystskogbruket and the organization Skognæringa Kyst SA.

WoodWorks! builds on a strong collaboration culture which is aimed at innovation and market orientation based on the bioeconomy. The cluster collaboration gives an extra lift with common efforts heading to a greener future.

Foto: WoodWorks! Cluster/FotoKnoff

The concept of Norwegian Innovation Clusters

Norwegian innovation clusters are a government-funded cluster program aimed to value creation through sustainable innovation. This will be done by unleash and strengthening collaboration based development activities in the clusters. The program will increase the internal dynamic and strengthen the attractiveness of the clusters. This will lead to increase the innovation capacity of each company.

Contact

If you would like to contact WoodWorks! Cluster, you will find contact information her.