Project

„Development of wood enterprises cluster and promotion of Cross border co-operation“

(Project is part financed by European Union Community Initiative “Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III B Neighbourhood Programme”)

§ After Lithuania and Latvia joined the EU, wood processing and furniture sector of Alytus and Latgale regions encounters lack of raw materials, rising prices of energy, stricter requirements concerning product quality, working conditions and environment. Wood-processing and furniture-producing enterprises of Alytus and Latgale regions, due to their small size, have difficulties in finding new markets, developing new products, preparing projects.

§ In order to help overcome the above-mentioned problems, increase competitiveness of wood-processing and furniture enterprises of Alytus and Latgale regions and form pre-conditions for their successful performance in dynamic free market conditions, South Lithuanian Business Co-operation Centre together with Latvian Chamber of Commerce planed to form a cluster model of wood enterprises and hence stimulate initiatives of their co-operation, provide services in the fields of design, consulting and search for export markets, organize fairs for contacts with potential clients. Latvian partners agreed to support this idea because of the same problems in Latvia. The involvement of Latvian partners allows not only to exchange experience, but also to create common strategies, to increase competitiveness of wood enterprises of Baltic countries in the EU.

§ This project promotes creation and development of higher value-added products by increasing skills level of employees of wood enterprises and fostering co-operation between wood and furniture enterprises, it would also help improve business conditions for SME subjects in Lithuania and Latvia. After the cluster model will be created and its methodology described, a basis for the expansion of this and other clusters in Lithuania and Latvia will be built.

§ This project aims are creating a wood industry cluster on the basis of co-operation with interested companies and business associations of Latvia and Belarus. The wood cluster is being created to unite the wood enterprises of Southern Lithuania and Latgale (Latvia) in order to increase competitiveness and value-added. During the project, positions of enterprises will be co-ordinated, an optimal variant of specialisation for each enterprise will be achieved, tasks will be distributed, the feeling of mistrust and uncertainty will be overcome. Every enterprise, taking part in the cluster, will have its duties and tasks defined.

§ The main aim of the project is to increase the competitiveness of industrial and business enterprises of Alytus and Jēkabpils regions. The cluster will form favourable conditions for business development and joint activities of enterprises, their co-operation, and introduction of new technologies. Using the opportunities, provided by cross-border co-operation, access of Alytus and Jēkabpils regions enterprises to new markets would be facilitated.