Participants of the Alpine Europe: Innovation in the Circular Economy Summer School 2026 from the University of Primorska, Oregon State University, Saarland University and partner institutions continued their two-week programme with visits highlighting woodworking technology, sustainable timber construction and creative innovation.

The twelfth day of the Summer School began with a visit to Ledinek, a company specialising in the production of woodworking machinery. Participants learned how the machines and production lines they had seen in operation during previous company visits are designed and manufactured. In the afternoon, they visited a wooden kindergarten in Selnica ob Dravi, where they toured the building and learned about the advantages and challenges of working in a timber-constructed facility. The day concluded with a return to Ljubljana, where participants spent the evening in the city centre and visited Open kitchen.

The thirteenth day of the Summer School included a visit to Center Rog in Ljubljana, where participants learned about the history of the building and its transformation from a textile factory to a bicycle factory and, today, a creative hub. They toured the centre and its production labs before spending the afternoon interviewing people in Ljubljana about their views on wooden construction and the use of wood. The programme concluded with a farewell group dinner, during which participants shared their reflections on the two weeks spent together.

Led by faculty from the University of Primorska and Oregon State University (USA), the Summer School is organised by UP FAMNIT, UP IAM and the NEBAP Hub in collaboration with Oregon State University, a global partner of the T4EU Alliance. As such this summer school presents a crucial step in strengthening the global relevance of T4EU and its partners.