Interactive exposition at the Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences of LBTU opens its doors to visitors – Events

One of Latvia’s leading woodworking companies “Stiga RM” in cooperation with the Latvian University of Biosciences and Technologies (LBTU) is creating a unique exhibition of forest management and wood use in Latvia at the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences of LBTU, Akadēmijas Street 11, Jelgava. Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze also participated in the opening event. and Jelgava city mayor Andris Rāviņš.

The exhibition was created using interactive and digital solutions, so that its visitors can learn in an interesting way how to get from a sapling to high-quality products produced in Latvia with high added value, revealing the cycles of forest management, the diversity of Latvian forests and the possibilities and applications of wood. The exhibition is available not only to students of the faculty, but to anyone interested.

“The forest is our inalienable value as a country and society, for which we have cared for generation after generation. This exposition will serve as an important dialogue with the public, helping to promote understanding of the forest and wood industry, to dispel prejudices that have arisen over time, and to strengthen our Latvian awareness of the forest as a value. Undeniably, the industry is facing difficult times, but looking at the long term, investments in education are the basis for sustainable development, so that the companies working in this field are increasingly competitive in world markets, producing products with high added value, thus contributing to the economy of Latvia and the well-being of the population as a whole,” states Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze.

“The woodworking industry is multifaceted and full of opportunities, and to bring about sustainable change in it, we must be ready to invest in innovation, education and science. Along with the rapid development of technology and growing ambitions, there is an increasing need for knowledgeable specialists. By cooperating with LBTU, we can not only show this industry from a different point of view, interest a wider circle of society in the forest and wood industry, but also inspire future specialists who see themselves working in this industry. We are pleased with the successfully initiated cooperation, and I hope that there will be no shortage of visitors at the exhibition!” tells Andris Ramoliņš, owner of “Stiga RM”.

“In order to prepare young specialists who are competitive in the labor market, higher education should ensure a symbiosis of three components in the study process, and these components are theory, science and practice. It is good that the companies in the forest industry understand that these three components cannot be separated in the study process and that the practical component can be provided by giving students the opportunity to learn practical skills not only by practicing in companies, but also during the study process. The creation of this exhibition is an excellent example of successful cooperation between industry and education, and the added value of this exhibition is that it is available not only to students, but also to the public,” says Linards Sisenis, Dean of the Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences.

The opening of the exhibition took place in a significant way within the framework of the annual event “Forest comes to Jelgava”, which annually gathers both local residents and guests of the city. This year, “Stiga RM” was also among the supporters of the event, organizing both creative workshops for children and demonstrating forest machinery.

As part of the cooperation, “Stiga RM” has also committed to provide internships for budding forest industry specialists to get to know the everyday life of forest and woodworking industry specialists and gain practical experience both in working with forest machinery and with high-tech woodworking and metalworking equipment in “Stiga RM” factories.

About Stiga RM:

Stig RM is a family company from Tukums, founded in 1994 with the aim of taking care of Latvia’s well-being by responsibly managing forest areas. In its properties with an area of ​​almost 11,000 hectares, most of which are forest land, the company carries out a full cycle of forest management based on the principles of sustainable forest management. Stig RM Birch plywood is produced at the factory in Kuldīga from high-quality Latvian birch wood. On the other hand, in Tukuma, the world’s most modern wood chipboard acoustic board (WWCB) production plant is currently being built. The company also offers log transportation services, providing the largest fleet of log trucks in the Baltic and Scandinavian countries.

Stig RM