1. Prefabricated Wood Component Innovations Susanna Franzen (Finland) Hektor Uustalo (Estonia) Antti Löfbacka (Finland) Liviu Scutariu (Romania) Peter Straka (Slovakia)

2. Our aim compare innovation cases find differences or similarities find recommendations how innovation cases could be improved

3. Definition Prefabricated wood components = many products (glue laminated beams, premade panels and sections for farm buildings, etc.) The industry is fragmented and is represented by a wide range of companies all around Europe. Advantage: they save builders money. Component = wide concept. Complete product: prefabricated components usually series producted.

4. Kaskipuu Oy, Finland Doors from pine or HDF-board Stuff: 100 Turnover: 9 mil. € Innovation: energy saving entrance door Advantages: new product is at the moment the best at the market; common interest for saving energy Problems: only few Thermo-doors have been manufactured Recommandations: start the marketing for new customers (especially architects) and to new market areas in north (Sweden, Norway, Canada…)

5. Keski-Suomen Puukympit Oy, Finland Roof trusses Stuff: 40 – 80 Turnover: 6.7 mil. € Innovation: increase production capacity Advantages: good financial; variability of employees is low  good craftsmanship; production capacity will be high after the investments. Recommandations: the new production plant

6. S.C. DOXAR GRUP S.R.L., Romania Living and vacation houses, windows and doors made of stratified wood Stuff: 40 Turnover: 1,2 mil. € Innovation: Have competitive products in the European Market; Implement innovative technologies Advantages: –good quality and competitive products on EU market, –respect the Romanian and E.U. environment requirements; –fire-resistant and moisture-resistant houses; –performant equipments Problems: - too less publicity Recommandations: –marketing survey on the foreign markets in order to have a specific image of export demand

7. Palmoko AS, Estonia Garden and summer houses Stuff: 120 Turnover:7.3 mil. € Innovation: Expand selling log houses in domestic market; Increase profit and production Advantages: enterprise is the largest producer of garden houses in Estonia; enterprise has financial means; long-standing cooperation with customers; Problems: too little selling on Estonian market; demand of garden houses is bigger than offering in external market Recommandations: start to use fully automatic production, buy some new machines to increase production; invest more money to marketing; make market strategy for Estonian market; hire employees, who have knowledge about Estonian market

8. Carpentery and joinery products Stuff: 30 Turnover: 1 mil. € Innovation: –Complex services from planning and designing of given idea to complete realization –Production based on individual requirements of every customer –Markets abroad-widening Arborea eng., Slovakia

9. Advantages: –Growing demand for ecologically friendly housing –Firm tends to implement all practises and components of production so that they respect environment protection Problems: too many small-sized similar companies and market starts to be „overeaten“ with the same products Recommendations: –product spreading –improve product quality –product differentiation –promotion / publicity for the products –more products to the market –find foreign customers

10. Conclusions Innovation strategy All companies have a sustaining innovation strategy. It is rather characteristic for prefabricated wood component production sector. Innovations of case studies make only small, incremental change for this sector. Innovation categories Our case studies presented all types of innovation.

11. Actors Source of capital Managers - own capital Engineers - EU fonds (customer) Fostering factors good financial base high quality of the products high level of production capacity interest for the external markets Hindering factors marketing (financial situation) Conclusions

12. Recommendations market studies - to have an image of a market potential publicity should be supported by the marketing advertisement and PR tools. new production plants or machines are required.

13. Thank you for your attention!