The WoodPoP 4th High Level Meeting

WoodPoP Fourth High Level Meeting

Date and Time: Wednesday, 15 October 2025, 09:00 CEST
Venue: InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia & Online (Hybrid)
Meeting Language: English

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

Moderator: Boštjan Romih

09:00 – 09:30      Welcome coffee and registration*

09:30                     Opening of the Meeting

  • Matjaž Han, Minister of the Economy, Tourism, and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia (video-message)
  • Willibald Ehrenhöfer, Minister for Economy, Labour, Finance, Science and Research,  Government of Styria, Austria
Welcoming Words
  • Dr. Aleš Musar, in the name of the President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar

Key Note Speeches

  • Keynote 1 – Lifelong learning and development of microcredentials in Slovenia, Urban Kodrič, State Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of the Republic of Slovenia
  • Keynote 2 – Strengthening exchange between relevant actors in policymaking and science, Prof. Dr. Daniela Kleinschmit, IUFRO President and Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy, University of Freiburg, Germany 

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)

10:30 – 11:00      Coffee Break* , **

11:00                    Presentation of the Draft Outcome Statement “The role of wood in Europe’s clean, just and competitive transformation”

Exchange of Views on the Draft Outcome Statement

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

The WoodPoP Dara Award, Celebrating  Sustainable Timber Construction

  • Presentation by Tomáš Krejzar, Ministry of Agriculture, Czech Republic & David Gil-Moreno, Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, Ireland

Updates from the WoodPoP Secretariat (WoodPoP Fund, upcoming meetings)

  • Alexander Buck, Executive Director, IUFRO
  • Veronika Steinhofer-Juch, WoodPoP Secretariat

Reports of Technical Working Groups’ Co-Leads

    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

    Handing over of the IUFRO Distinguished Service Award to Lidija Zadnik-Stirn, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)

    13:15 – 15:00        Networking Lunch

    Optional 

    15:00 – 16:00      Meeting of the TWG Education & Vocational Training

    18:00                     Informal Dinner at InnoRenew CoE

    *Bilateral meeting of ministers
    **Statements for the press

    Thursday, 16 October 2025 (CEST)

    10:00 – 12:00        Meeting of the Informal Steering Group

    Afternoon Excursion to Public Wood Buildings and Construction Sites in Koper and Izola
    Tuesday, 14 October 2025 (13:15 – 18:30 CEST)

    13:15                               Departure of the Excursion bus in InnoRenew CoE
    Meeting Point Address: InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia

    13:15 – 15:45                Site visits in Koper

    • Port of Koper ‘Wood Terminal’
    • Cultural Heritage Building ‘Servitski Monastery’
    • Transfer to InnoRenew CoE

    16:00 – 18:15                Site Visit in Izola

    • Tour of InnoRenew CoE – the biggest wooden building in
      Slovenia – & its laboratories

    18:30                             Transfer to the dinner venue by bus
    Meeting Point Address: InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia

    18:30 – 22:00            Dinner

    Around 22:15             Return to InnoRenew CoE by bus

     

    Registration

    As registration has closed, kindly e-mail us at contact(a)woodpop.eu, if you would like to join the meeting.

     

    Meeting Documents

    Photo credit: Miran Kambic