HeattreatmentoftimberPartners.pptVIP

Brian Kehoe Manager Wicklow Rural Partnership ‘Heat treatment of timber’ Partners Wicklow Rural Partnership, Co. Wicklow, Ireland. Wicklow is located on the East Coast of Ireland beside the city of Dublin. Population is 115,000. Wicklow has the highest percentage of land planted with forestry in Ireland at 20%. Forestry and related industries comprise an important part of the local economy. Suupohja Development Association, Osthrobothnia, Finland. Suupohja is located in the region of Southern Ostrobothnia in West Finland. Population of Suupohja is c.31,000. (Southern Ostrobothnia population is 230,000). Suupohja and South Ostrobothnia region is one of the leading furniture making regions in Finland. Project Origins ‘Telework’ project under the Leader 2 Programme which both Suupohja Development Association and Wicklow Rural Partnership Ltd and two LAG groups from Italy were partners. During meetings held in Ireland and Finland in 2001 both partners decided that given the local economic profile of the two areas the timber sector would be the common sector around which to develop a project. Other sectors such as tourism, food and cultural exchange were also agreed as possible areas for future co-operation e.g. marketing local food products. Objectives Develop projects between both countries in the areas of timber/furniture, tourism, food and cultural exchange. Timber/Furniture Investigate new technologies, i.e. heat treatment to add value to Irish softwoods and in particular Sitka spruce. Reduce the use of chemicals in timber preservative treatment. Create business opportunities between Finnish and Irish companies working in timber/furniture industry. Objectives Specific Irish Objectives To examine how Irish Sitka spruce could be upgraded by a heat-treatment process therefore adding value to the timber and extending it’s usage into a range of different products. Reduce the use of chemicals in preservative treatment (timber production and processing). This