Danube

About Danube

The main objective of the project is to establish a new network in the Danube region, comprising wood research centers from Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Austria, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia.
The goal of the research network is to develop methods of property improvement without or with reduced use of fossil or environmentally harmful substances and to bring them to an application-ready level in cooperation with the wood industry. In the Danube region, interesting opportunities for cooperation with local companies and research institutes in the associated countries arise for German education and research institutions as well as companies in the wood and wood-based industries in order to establish a link between the particular, often traditional knowledge areas.
The vision is to realize innovative and new ways in the sustainable use of wood through the international transfer of knowledge and technology, which leads to a significant improvement in the description of the materials and in the processes.

The activities of the research consortium can be divided into three main areas:

  • Exchange of scientists and experts for the transfer of knowledge and the initiation of research projects
  • Involvement of other partners like users, students or stakeholders in seminars and workshops on wood quality, wood use, property improvement, new materials and their applications
  • Participation in conferences and publications in topic-specific adapted media

Network portrait

Partners

University of Applied Sciences for Sustainable Development Eberswalde (Germany)

The University of Applied Sciences for Sustainable Development Eberswalde (HNEE) was founded in 1830 as the Forestry Academy. Since the traditional forestry and timber research campus near Berlin reopened its doors in 1992, the university focused on forward-looking industries and key sectors with the four faculties:

  • Forest and Environment
  • Landscape Management and Nature Conservation
  • Wood Engineering
  • Sustainable Business

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The working group "Wood Chemistry, Wood Physics and Chemical Engineering" at the faculty of Wood Engineering is led by Prof. Dr.-Ing Alexander Pfriem and deals with fundamental materials research and material development for the modification of wood as well as chemical and physical modification processes and combinations thereof. Besides, the working group focuses on the development of wood based materials and composite materials as well as on process developments. The main research topics are:

  • Fundamental chemical alteration and modification of wood
  • Specifically developed materials and material composites
  • Product-based material and technology development

The Professorship "Wood Chemistry, Wood Physics and Chemical Engineering" is the coordinator of this project.

Faculty of Wood Engineering

Mendel University in Brno (Czech Republik)

Founded in 1864 as an agricultural university, the Mendel University in Brno is the oldest independent specialized university in the Czech Republic.

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Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology
The Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology at Mendel University in Brno (FFWT MENDELU) is one of the major university teaching institutions in the Czech Republic, concentrating on research and academic activities in the areas of

    • arboristics
    • forestry
    • landscaping
    • timber structures and wood building construction
    • wood technology
    • timber management
    • furniture design
    • timber management

on bachelor, master and doctoral levels, and in research and expertise in the respective fields.

Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology

 

 

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Tulln a. d. Donau (Austria)

The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences perceives itself as a teaching and research center for renewable resources.

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Institute of Wood Technology and Renewable Materials
In frame of the Department of Material Sciences and Process Engineering the main Danube –Network partner is the Institute of Wood Technology and Renewable Materials, led by Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Wolfgang Gindl-Altmutter, and supported by our Danube partners Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Dr.h.c. Alfred Teischinger and Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Rupert Wimmer.

Institute of Wood Technology and Renewable Materials

Wood-k plus Linz Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH (Austria)

The core competences of Wood-k plus are materials research and process technology along the complete value chain – from raw material to finished products, developing methods and basics and performing applied research on the economy-science interface.

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Wood Materials Technologies
The Danube-Network Partner ‘Wood Materials Technologies’ in Tulln is led by Dr. Christian Hansmann, focuses on different wood technological processes as well as on the destructive and non-destructive testing of wood and wood products. Five teams are active in the fields of

  • Mechanical Disintegration
  • Smart Wood & Natural Materials
  • Advanced Bonding
  • Indoor Quality & Emission Control
  • Wood Composites & Digital Transformation

Network Partner ‘Wood Materials Technologies’ in Tulln

Technical University in Zvolen (Slovakia)

The Technical University in Zvolen (Slovakia) delivers a unique offer of perspective and exceptional study programmes in Slovakia associated with practice.

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Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technologies
The university has four faculties with numerous study programmes in the field of life sciences:

  • Faculty of Forestry
  • Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences
  • Faculty of Environmental and Manufacturing Technologyand the Danube-Network-Partner

University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)

The University of Ljubljana was founded in 1919 and currently integrates 23 faculties and three arts academies. Ever since its foundation, the university has been the largest and highest quality Slovenian scientific and research organization – always recognized by the international scientific community.

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Network Partner Biotechnical Faculty
The fundamental mission of the Biotechnical Faculty is to provide university level, advanced professional, and postgraduate education, as well as to carry out scientific research and technical and consulting work concerning the sciences of living nature (biology, microbiology) as well as agriculture, forestry and fisheries (forestry, animal husbandry, agronomy) and the related production technologies (wood technology, food technology, biotechnology). The Danube-Network-Partner is the Department of Wood Science and Technology

University of Primorska in Koper (Slovenia)

The mission of the University of Primorska is to carry out education and scientific research in a professional and creative manner and to support the balanced development of Slovenia in the region, Europe, and globally.

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Andrej Marušič Institute
Andrej Marušič Institute (UP IAM) carries out fundamental and applied research, is involved in international scientific cooperation, and establishes connections with similar organizations around the world, in line with its development program. With its researchers, habilitated teachers and assistants, UP IAM is involved in educational activities of the University of Primorska (UP) and cooperates with members and Associated members of the UP in designing proposals for new courses and new programs of UP, as well as in establishing new faculties. The main Danube-Network-Partner is Dr. Andreja Kutnar, Associate Professor in the field wood science at University of Primorska in Koper Slovenia and director of the InnoRenew CoE. Andrej Marušič Institute

University of Sopron (Hungary)

In the years 2015-17 the University of Sopron was reorganised and now has four faculties: the Benedek Elek Faculty of Pedagogy, the Faculty of Forestry, the Alexandre Lamfalussy Faculty of Economics and Simonyi Károly Faculty of Engineering, Wood Sciences and Applied Arts, the partner Faculty of the Danube-Network.

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Simonyi Károly Faculty of Engineering, Wood Sciences and Applied Arts
In addition to education, SKF is the only wood research institution in Hungary. Its new state-of-the art research facilty, the Natural Resources Research Centre includes some 80 laboratories covering a wide range of research topics from wood and paper manufacturing through energetics, robotics, polymer technology, all the way to nanotechnology, and much more. In addition to our pioneering research and innovation, our accredited laboratories offer a range of standardised testing services.

The main partner in the Danube-Network is Prof. Róbert Németh, Head of the Department of Wood Science.

Simonyi Karoly Faculty of Engineering, Wood Sciences and Applied Arts

University of Belgrade (Republic of Serbia)

The University of Belgrade is a state university. Its main activities in the fields of higher education and scientific research are activities of public interest.

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Faculty of Forestry
The Faculty of Forestry of the University of Belgrade is the oldest and the highest scientific institution of higher education in the fields of forestry, wood processing, landscape architecture and horticulture and ecological engineering for soil and water resources protection in Serbia. The studies of forestry started on 5th December, 1920 at the Department of Forestry of the Faculty of Agriculture in Belgrade.
Besides keeping the values based on national and cultural features that enrich the European academic educational field, the aim of the reform of the scientific and educational work at the Faculty is also the protection of natural heritage, sustainable utilization of natural resources on ecological grounds and generally environmental protection with the application of modern technologies. Main Danube partners are ass. prof. Goran Milic and ass. prof. Nesbojsa Todorovic, both at the Department of Wood Science (Department of Technology, Management and Design of Furniture and Wood Products).

Faculty of Forestry

Transilvanian University of Brasov (Romania)

Within the university, scientific research and education projects, grants and contracts, financed from public or private national and international sources, are implemented. The financing for projects and grants is obtained both by participating in national and international competitions.
The university has 18 faculties.

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Faculty of Wood Engineering
The Faculty of Wood Engineering has a long-established tradition which is indissolubly linked to the broader context of the higher education in Brașov and it is to this day the only faculty in Romania that trains specialists in the design and technology of furniture and wood finished products. A twofold perspective – technological and creative – characterizes de study and research undertakings that are carried out in this faculty. Main partner in the Danube-Network is Assistant Prof.Eng. and Vice-Dean Lidia GURAU, PhD., Department of Wood processing and Wood Products Design. The Department provides 6 study programmes:

  • Wood Products Engineering – Bachelor study programme
  • Wood Processing Engineering - Bachelor study programme
  • Forestry and Engineering Management - Bachelor study programme
  • Wood Processing Engineering – part-time education, Bachelor study programme
  • Advanced Wooden Structures and Innovative Technologies – Master study programme
  • Eco-Design of Furniture and Restoration – Master study programme

Faculty of Wood Engineering

University of Banja Luka (Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The University of Banja Luka, founded on 7th November 1975 and comprising of 17 faculties today, is the leading higher education institution in the Republic of Srpska and the second largest one in the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Faculty of Forestry
The first generation of students enrolled the General Course on the Faculty of Forestry in the 1993/94 academic year. Since 2010 the Faculty has been organizing post-graduate studies in Forestry and since 2011 it has been organizing post-graduate studies in Forest Resources Management as well. Main partners in Danube-Network are Prof. dr Zoran Govedar and ass. prof. Branislav Cvjetkovic, both Department of Silviculture.

Faculty of Forestry

Industrial partners (raw material suppliers)

Holzindustrie Schweighofer S.R.L.

Holzindustrie Schweighofer is a traditional family-owned company of Austrian origin with very strong roots in Central and Eastern Europe, especially Romania. Wood is our passion. With over 3,100 employees in Austria, Germany and Romania, we produce high-quality wood products for industrial customers all over the world. We take our social responsibility seriously, support a sustainable wood processing industry and have implemented a comprehensive action plan for this purpose

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Activities
Sawmill technology on the softwood sector, development of new or alternative sources and assortments of raw materials, further development of competitive and innovative production processes using new materials.

Industrial partners (raw material suppliers)

Pollmeier Massivholz GmbH & Co.KG

Pollmeier supplies beech lumber in consistent quality grades to suit different applications - with the best value for money for the manufacture of products. The high standards we demand from procurement, manufacturing and quality control assure our customers that every shipment of edge-glued panels will be of the same high quality. This consistency has made us an important and valued partner to the furniture industry.

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Activities
Sawmill technology on the hardwood sector, development of new or alternative sources and assortments of raw materials, further development of competitive and innovative production processes using new materials, development of new veneer composites

Industrial partners (raw material suppliers)

DOKA GmbH

Giving construction companies professional advice and support 'on the spot' is a core competence of Doka's. With more than 160 sales and logistics facilities in over 70 countries, Doka has a highly efficient distribution network to ensure that equipment and technical support can be provided swiftly and professionally – no matter how big and complex the project.

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Activities
Development of new or alternative sources and assortments of raw materials, further development of competitive and innovative production processes using new materials, development of new veneer composites

 

Supporter

This website is a part of the project "Danube Network Wood Research Centres", funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) via International Bureau, in the funding program "Ideas competition to establish and expand innovative R&D networks with partners in Danube riparian states 2015" (funding registration number 01DS17011).

Contents of this website reflect the views of the authors only, and the BMBF cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.