WoodPoP Fourth High Level Meeting

Date and Time: Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 09:30 – 15:00 CET
Venue: InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia & Online / Hybrid

The European Wood Policy Platform (WoodPoP) will host its 4th High Level Meeting, bringing together delegations from Pan-European ministries, led by senior government officials such as Ministers, Secretaries of State, Director Generals, and Directors. The meeting will also welcome regional and stakeholder organisations, along with various observers.

This significant event will feature an exchange of views that will discuss how transdisciplinary measures can help to strengthen the wood-based sector and its contributions to a competitive, just and green Europe.

A particular focus will be laid on how training (within the sector) and re-training (within the sector to enhance the existing workers’ skills, educating and training sector-specific skills to attract workers from other sectors) can provide urgently needed new skills for the revitalisation of the sector.

Programme Overview

09:00 CET         Welcome coffee and registration*

09:30 CET         Opening of the Meeting

• Matjaž Han, Minister of the Economy, Tourism, and Sport of Slovenia
• TBC

09:50 CET         Key Note Speeches

• Lifelong learning and development of microcredentials in Slovenia, TBC
• Strengthening exchange between relevant actors in policymaking and science, TBC

10:30 CET         Item 1. Presentation of the Policy Brief

• ‘A skilled workforce in the wood-based sector to propel Europe towards a sustainable future’, Prof. Dr. Andreja Kutnar, InnoRenew CoE & University of Primorska (Slovenia)

10:40 CET         Coffee Break**

11:10 CET         Item 2. Exchange of Views

• Moderator: Georg Rappold, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management of Austria

12:10 CET         Item 3. Reports of Technical Working Groups’ Co-Leads

12:30 CET         Item 4. Updates from the WoodPoP Secretariat

• Updates from the WoodPoP Secretariat, Veronika Steinhofer-Juch, WoodPoP Secretariat
• Upcoming Meetings
• A European Wood Building Award

12:45 CET         Closing Remarks

• Georg Rappold, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management of Austria
• Darko Sajko, Ministry of the Economy, Tourism, and Sport of Slovenia

13:00 CET         Networking Lunch

Optional

17:30 CET         Meeting of Steering group and/or TWG Education & Vocational Training

17:30 CET        Dinner

*Bilateral meeting of ministers
**Statements for the press