To strengthen closer cooperation, facilitate the training of young professionals, and create a deeper public understanding of the forestry sector, one of Latvia's leading timber processing companies, Stiga RM, signed a cooperation agreement with the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LBTU) Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences at the end of February to support science and education.
As part of the collaboration, Stiga RM will provide financial support for the creation of a unique Forest Management and Wood Utilisation exposition at the LBTU Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences. Through the use of interactive and digital display solutions, visitors will be able to learn how the journey from a seedling leads to high-value, high-quality products made in Latvia, revealing the forest management cycle, the diversity of Latvia's forests, and the various opportunities for wood utilisation and application.
The timber processing company is also committed to providing internships for budding forestry sector professionals, who will have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the day-to-day work of experts in the forest and timber industry, gaining practical experience in both working with forest machinery and high-tech timber processing and metalworking equipment at Stiga RM factories. The company will also participate in various jointly organised events of interest to both the sector and the public.
“The LBTU Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences (MVZF) has implemented a practice-based study process by involving industry professionals in the curriculum and working in partnership with sector companies. This provides future engineers and industry professionals with the opportunity not only to attend lectures by industry experts but also to participate in the production process, thereby starting to understand the nuances of production during their studies. The successfully initiated collaboration with the Latvian-owned company Stiga RM, which is officially consolidated today by the signing of this agreement, will open up even broader opportunities for students to acquire the professional competencies so necessary for a new specialist entering the labour market. Furthermore, the jointly launched project to create the Forest Management and Wood Utilisation exposition at the faculty will be a benefit not only to students but to the public as a whole, as this will be a unique exhibition on a Latvian scale,” says Dean of the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Linards Sisenis.
“Until now, the timber processing industry has been viewed narrowly, without utilising its full potential in terms of innovation, education, and scientific development. However, with the growing demand for intelligently used wood, there is also a need for new, ambitious, and knowledgeable industry specialists to bring a breath of fresh air into the sector. The cooperation with LBTU will allow this path to be taken faster, helping to foster the development of future specialists. It also opens up new opportunities to popularise the timber processing industry, making it engaging for the next generation, who might choose this as their future career path. We are convinced that this is the right way to promote the development of a sustainable industry and strengthen it,” says Andris Ramoliņš, owner of Stiga RM.
The signing of the agreement was attended by LBTU Rector Irina Pilvere, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences (MVZF) Dean Linards Sisenis, and Stiga RM owner Andris Ramoliņš, along with other company representatives.
Stiga RM is a family business from Tukums, founded in 1994 with the aim of caring for Latvia's prosperity through the responsible management of forest areas. Across its own properties of nearly 11,000 hectares, most of which is forest land, the company carries out a full forest management cycle based on sustainable forestry principles. Stiga RM produces birch plywood from high-quality Latvian birch wood at its facility in Kuldīga. Meanwhile, in Tukums, the world’s most modern wood cement-bonded particle board (WWCB) plant is currently being built. The company also offers timber transport services, operating the largest fleet of log trucks in the Baltic and Scandinavian countries.
Photo by Rebeka Damila Kosmane used