We are rethinking wood.
Picture: Wind shelter in Dalsland & Nordmarken’s lake system, developed by Firma Irma (Åmål) and Naden Arkitektur & Snickeri (Gothenburg).
A place for circular thinkers and the people who want to lead tomorrow’s development of products made of wood and wood fibre. Welcome to a Norwegian-Swedish region characterised by innovation and industrial expertise in automation, operations and production technology.
Well-known. Well-tried. Age-old. And the material of the future.
Become established near the market.
The growth zone between Oslo and Gothenburg has a clear political desire to prioritise wood construction as an industry of the future. The local market is further strengthened by the development of two major growing cities. Among other things, by 2035 Gothenburg will build housing, premises and infrastructure as part of an initiative of SEK 1,000 billion.
Located at Scandinavia’s demographic centre, the whole world is within reach of this strategic logistics location. Paired with regional and global demand, this gives you plenty of freedom to define your market and prepare for future expansion.
Share your dreams with like-minded people.
Public and private sector players work together here every day to promote sustainability, wood and forestry bio-economics. You and your company will therefore be part of a context in which prosperity and expertise grow on trees.
With know-how in circular business models, construction, design, carpentry, paper pulp, textiles, fuel and much more, the region is overflowing with expertise, drive, and innovative partnerships. Among other things, you will find Innovatum Science Park’s national initiatives, Stenebyskolan’s inquisitive love of wood crafts, Wargön Innovation and innovative companies with cutting-edge expertise. The Norwegian side has extensive experience with high-rise construction with load-bearing constructions in wood, as well as research on the use of waste products.
The forest is here
– as well as knowledge about it
Västra Götaland alone has approximately 1.2 million hectares of productive forest land. In addition, access to energy from renewable sources is plentiful, creating outstanding conditions for responsible production. The combination of access to forest raw materials, cutting-edge expertise in business and academia, and 170 years of collective experience of industrial development and production results in an area where new ideas are born.
We use wood and wood fibres to produce furniture, brilliant prefab solutions, paper, textiles and much more. Thanks to the diverse areas of use, more and more industries are becoming engaged and energised – and emboldened to think creatively.
- Researchers and students at University West are using cutting-edge expertise from the space, aviation and automotive industries to refine the development of industrial wood.
- Over 6,000 people work in forestry and wood-related professions in Västra Götaland.
- By 2030, West Sweden will be fossil-fuel free. As part of these efforts, Wargön Innovation is helping to pilot innovations in materials all the way from concept to finished product.
- At the Steneby testbed, design is united with sustainable production and solid expertise in wood as a material.
- At Gröna Klustret Nuntorp, forest owners, machine manufacturers, researchers and forestry programmes converge. Developments are underway here that increase added value and produce benefits for the climate.
- A four-storey wooden building leads to a net carbon dioxide uptake of 150 tonnes (including transport and production), because wood stores the carbon dioxide that was bound by growing trees.
- Innovatum Science Park is conducting the Tillverka i Trä (‘Manufacture in Wood’) initiative, in which processes and business models are being developed for better resource use. Among other things, a network of small and large companies from all over the country are cooperating to contribute to more sustainable construction in wood. Learn more at https://www.tillverkaitra.se/om-oss/
Frequently asked questions
“We live in wood country. I want to be part of building up as much expertise as possible about wood construction.” Jonas Fred Hell, co-owner of Fridh & Hell’s Bygg AB.
Would you like to hear more from companies that work in the industry? Visit this link. (in Swedish)
A study in which industry players were interviewed demonstrated a need for more companies that work witsh CLT, digitalisation, wood processing and turnkey contracts. Read more in the report Stark Tro på Framtiden (“Strong Faith in the Future”).(in Swedish)
Yes, there are relevant programmes at the university, adult education and upper-secondary school levels. The area is home to University West and Steneby, and for example Chalmers University of Technology and Karlstad University are nearby. Because wood and wood construction are prioritised areas, the selection of programmes will continue to grow.
Yes, the area has detailed, planned commercial plots of various sizes. There are also existing premises for industrial production and offices. When you contact us, we will assess the inventory based on your specific needs. (Naturally, you get to decide how transparent you want to be.)
Yes, for investments in one of Dalsland’s municipalities, investment aid is available for up to 35% of investment costs. (You can read more here.) You also have the opportunity to find financial support and expertise through our strong collaboration with municipalities, companies and education institutions.
There are both completed and planned wooden constructions in the area. Examples include the preschools in Bengtsfors, Färgelanda and Sotenäs. Would you like to see more examples? Click here. (in Swedish)
