InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM welcomed a group of international master’s students from UPF Barcelona School of Management as part of a study trip organized by Catalonia Trade & Investment South-East Europe Office, held on 23 June 2026.

The group was welcomed by Dr. Mike Burnard, Deputy Department Chair at InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM, who introduced the students to the interdisciplinary research activities of InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM, with a focus on renewable materials, sustainable construction and innovation. Together with Dr. Črtomir Tavzes, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher he guided the students through the InnoRenew CoE building and research laboratories.

The visit continued with an interactive workshop led by Dr. Burnard and Dr. Tavzes together with Olga Srejić and Donya Bazyar, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM PhD students. The workshop was held within the framework of the European Wood Policy Platform (woodPoP) initiative and focused on the development of the woodPoP Student Award. The discussion addressed how to make the award more attractive to students, which types of categories would be most engaging (such as challenges, best paper, or best pitch), what the participation requirements should be and how to effectively reach students and raise awareness of the award.

Participants actively contributed ideas and suggestions to support the creation of an appealing and inclusive framework for the initiative across Europe.