Alpine Europe Summer School

15–28 June 2026, Izola (InnoRenew), circular economy and sustainable innovations

The University of Primorska, together with Oregon State University (USA), led the Alpine Europe: Innovation in the Circular Economy 2026 Summer School, held 15–28 June 2026. It brought together students from the University of Primorska, Saarland University, Oregon State University and partner institutions. The two-week programme focused on sustainability, innovation and the circular economy, offering participants expert visits, practical workshops and opportunities for international collaboration. The participants were accompanied by Dr. Andreja Kutnar, department chair of InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM and Dr. Mohammad Derikvand, InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM researcher.

The Summer School was organised by UP FAMNIT, UP IAM and the NEBAP Hub, in collaboration with Oregon State University, a global partner of the T4EU Alliance. As such, this summer school presented a crucial step in strengthening the global relevance of T4EU and its partners.

The programme started with a guided tour of Ljubljana, after which participants explored different aspects of sustainable development through a variety of visits, from natural heritage and advanced technologies to the wood-processing industry and timber construction. They visited the forests of Kočevje, the company Yaskawa, Arboretum Volčji Potok and several companies from the wood industry, including Menina, iQwood, M Sora, Jelovica Homes, LIP Bohinj, Profiles, Solis Timber, Stilles and Ledinek. The programme also included a visit to Center Rog in Ljubljana, where participants learned about the transformation of a former industrial building into a creative hub and explored its production laboratories.

Participants gained insight into the entire value chain of wood, from timber processing to final products such as wooden dowels, connecting lamellas, wooden construction elements, wood-aluminium windows, prefabricated wooden houses and cross-laminated timber (CLT). Special emphasis was placed on innovative solutions for sustainable timber construction.

During the summer school, they also visited the five-storey timber building under construction in Umag, Sečovlje Salt Pans Nature Park, Kobarid Museum, the wooden kindergarten in Selnica ob Dravi and the Antikvitete Trop collection in Velika Nedelja, offering participants additional insights into sustainable construction, cultural heritage and traditional and contemporary uses of wood.

Additionally, they visited the InnoRenew CoE, UP IAM in Izola, the largest wooden building in Slovenia, where participants toured the research laboratories and took part in a workshop within the SediMateria project. During the workshop, they discussed the development of sustainable building materials made from marine sediments and wood residues.

The Summer School was a great opportunity for students to explore Slovenia’s cultural and natural heritage. They visited Bohinj, Bled, Bovec, Kobarid, Sečovlje Salt Pans, Piran, Maribor, Ljubljana and other locations, discovering historical, cultural and contemporary aspects of wood use.

The programme brought together knowledge, research, industry and culture, while strengthening international cooperation among the participating universities.

 

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