A recurring conference that gathers leading timber companies and wood researchers from Sweden and abroad is the nucleus of the Träfestivalen (Wood Festival) being held in Skellefteå, Sweden, for the sixth time since 1995. Behind the festival is the Träenigheten foundation, of which Joinex is one of the founders, and both the festival and the foundation have been making important contributions toward the status and development of the timber industry.

"Among the most significant projects are the preparations for the government conference in 1997 and the extensive R&D programme that has ensured 2 professorships and 15 post-graduate positions at the Luleå University College of Technology and its campus in Skellefteå,” says Sven-Olov Holmström, chairman of the Träenigheten foundation. 

The theme for this year’s festival is “The Future of Wood".
”The industry has experienced a strong boom that looks like continuing for another few years. But during this year’s festival, we want to see even further into the future and how we can further reinforce the possibilities of wood from a product and marketing point of view,” says Mr Holmström.

For Joinex, the Träfestivalen is important in many ways.
”It harmonises our views on development and public commitment. It’s partly a desire to strengthen the competitiveness of wood companies in general but it’s also a shared ambition to create a centre for wood research in northern Europe here in our region. It will help our part of the country - and all the north of Sweden - to move forward,” says Peter Forsell, the managing director of Joinex.