Dr. Črtomir Tavzes and Dr. Balázs Dávid, researchers at InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM, visited the company Alples in the framework of the Furniture LCA and SIMOLES research projects.

Alples company is the leading furniture manufacturer in Slovenia. The FurnitureLCA project aims to equip furniture companies with the knowledge to be able to make the lifecycle assessment (LCA) that permits to quantify environmental impacts and make better environmental decisions. During the visit they were discussing about the importance of connecting academia to industry, and the need to identify potential savings in procurement, logistics, production, and sales, as well as opportunities to use LCA results as an additional communication channel with customers and users. Together they defined the scope and goals of the planned LCA analysis and agreed on protocols for collecting the necessary data and information.

Moreover, the meeting also related to the Simulation and optimisation of potential valorization routes for lower quality wood in Slovenia (SIMOLES) project. Since Alples uses chipboards (particleboards) and laminates, both produced from low-quality wood, the discussion cantered on how such materials are sourced, the types of relationships Alples seeks with suppliers and the handling of production leftovers or materials returned by customers. The SIMOLES project focuses on identifying the most efficient ways to valorize and utilize lower-quality wood.

This visit was a great opportunity to strengthen the connection between industry and academia to foster more collaboration in the furniture sector.