Analysis and assessment of the forest and wood-based industry cluster in the State of North-Rhine/Westphalia, Germany

Alfeld

2006

S. 136-141

2 Abb., 44 Lit. Ang.

Artikel aus einer ZeitschriftUnselbständiges Werk

200133501

Although international experiences have shown that the cluster concept can effectively support economic development and mobilize political support for other industry branches, the utilization of this concept in forestry is still limited. Within this research project, the European Union's concept of the forest and wood-based industry clusters was further developed and tested, including the development and application of methods for cluster analysis. The case study of the forest and wood-based industry cluster in the State of North-Rhine/Westphalia (NRW) is the first demonstrable application of the cluster concept to forestry in Germany. The cluster concept was applied to assess the available timer resources and the timber consumption for the processing and manufacturing of the full range of wood products. This paper focuses upon three keay socio-economic variables: the number of companies in each industry branch within the cluster, the size of companies in terms of employees, and the annual sales of companies. The study was based on existing statistical information, specific surveys, and personal interviews with industry experts. The forest and wood-based industry cluster of NRW includes four categories: forestry (forest companies and forestry consultants); wood-processing industry (sawmill, veneer, wood-based panel and other roundwood processing industries); wood manufacturing (furniture, wood craft, wood construction, wood-based packaging and other specialized wood-processing industries); and other wood-based industries (pulp and paper, printing and publishing, fuel wood, timber trade and wood products ancillary industries). With 260,000 employees and annual sales of about 35 billion Euro, the cluster is highly significant to both the regional economy and the employment market, particularly in comparison to industry branches generally seen as major socio-economic contributors in the highly industrialized State of NRW. This case study shows that the concept of forest and wood-based industry clusters allows for a specific analysis and assessment of the socio-economic importance of this sector. It also offers a suitable approach for improving self-organization, communication and ccoperation in the relevant industry branches to help them develop a more appropriate self-image, and more effectively present their needs to policy-markers and the general public. The presented research contributors to the further scientific development of the cluster concept and methodology in forestry, and it provides significant empirical data from a case study area of international relevance. The case study experiences indicate that the concept of forest and wood-based industry clusters is suitable for supporting the competitiveness of this industry sector and contributing to the sustainable development of forest-dependent regions.