Competence Centre Ltd. for research and development is the leading partner of the DRWO4.0 – Digitalization of the Wood Industry in the Danube Region project, which has been officially recognized and named a Flagship project of the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR) for the period 2025 and 2026.
This prestigious recognition, which was awarded to the Competence Centre Ltd. in Stuttgart this year, sets DRWO4.0 apart as a leading strategic project in the Danube Region. The EUSDR Flagship project status is exclusively granted to projects that have the potential to achieve a significant, long-term impact on the Strategy's objectives, particularly in the context of enhancing cooperation, innovation, and regional development. This recognition is especially important given that the Competence Centre Ltd. is one of the few European holders and the only Croatian holder of a project financed by the Interreg Danube Programme. This confirms the leading role of the Competence Centre Ltd. in the field of digital transformation and research at the European Union level. The DRWO4.0 project is focused on a European initiative – the implementation of digital transformation in the wood industry, in the countries of the Danube Region.
Through international cooperation with European partners, the project develops and implements specific solutions and models aimed at strengthening digital skills and fostering innovation. The ultimate goal is to increase the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in the wood sector through the efficient adoption of advanced digital technologies and practices, which directly contributes to the sustainable and modern development of the Danube Region. The EUSDR Flagship certificate is an incentive to continue resolutely with the implementation of the DRWO4.0 project activities with the goal of setting new standards in the European wood industry and strengthening Croatia's position on the European innovation map.
