FOBIA

Last changed: 20 August 2020

The FOBIA project aims at enhancing business competitiveness of forestry service enterprises in the northern and peripheral regions of Finland, Sweden, Scotland and Ireland. The origin of the project lies in the need to improve the enterprises’ ability to meet increased service demands.

“Many forestry entrepreneurs have a need to enhance their competence in order to successfully meet increased demands, and their ability to acquire new skills is often constrained by a lack of time and the long distances involved in accessing training. Many forestry service businesses are also experiencing declining profitability, making it difficult to recruit and retain skilled employees”, says Paula Jylhä from Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).

 Within the Forest Business Innovation and Advancement (FOBIA) project, these barriers should be reduced by introducing new business models and developing tools available through digital platforms to help entrepreneurs to increase profitability, productivity and competence.

FOBIA video

Facts:

Project timetable: 2017-06-01 - 2020-05-31

Funders: Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme / the European Regional Development Fund

Project partners: Natural Resources Institute Finland, Työtehoseura ry, Pohjois-Karjalan koulutuskuntayhtymä, Tietohippu Oy, SE Skogsentreprenörerna, Inverness College-UHI, Waterford Institute of Technology

Associated partners: John Deere Forest Oy, Komatsu Forest Oy, Koneyrittäjien liitto ry (in Finnish), Skogscentralen, Ponsse Oyj, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Norbord Europe Ltd, Western Forestry Co-op, Kearney Training & Consultancy (KTC Safety) Ltd, Teagasc, Coillte

Project participants SBT: Emanuel Erlandsson, Tomas Nordfjell, Ola Lindroos, Thomas Kronholm, Carola Häggström

Project budget: 1 900 000 EUR