Estonian Undertakings Visited a World-class Robotics Centre

The Robotdalen, located in Sweden, is a significant centre of robotics and control engineering in Europe; similar centres can only be found in the USA and Japan. A delegation of 22 Estonians visited the centre in the end of November in order to find out how the Swedes are putting the plan of creating 35 new undertakings and 35 new products by 2013 into action.

The purpose of the six-day study trip was to visit competence centres in Sweden and Denmark related to timber with the aim of creating a similar centre in the Võru County in the future which would service all of Estonia, Northern Latvia and North-western Russia.

Apart from the Robotdalen, Estonians visited the Tibro Crafts Centre and the Träcentrum in Sweden.

The Tibro Crafts Centre, which teaches adults to craft hand-made furniture, is unique in Northern Europe. Carpentry, restoration of furniture, upholstering, covering of wood with metal, carving of wood and décor painting are taught in the Centre. While the Crafts Centre focuses on teaching crafting of hand-made furniture, the Tibro Training Centre teaches industrial manufacturing of furniture. Both the centres are regularly co-operating with the employment office as well as undertakings to help people find a job and for undertakings to receive qualified workforce.

Träcentrum focuses on industrial undertakings that deal with timber, centralising different competence that is necessary for the sustainable development of timber undertakings. The foundation was founded by 35 undertakings and two local governments in 1991 and activities were initiated in 1995. As the centre has a very good network and co-operation with undertakings, it has been determined that over 80 per cent of students are able to find a job at one of the co-operation partners of the Träcentrum.

The Birk Centerpark located in Herning, Denmark, where different organisations and institutions contributing to the development of furniture and clothing industries were located in close proximity in the same area was the most interesting place for the Estonians.

The Estonians were excited by the new term – or even a new philosophy – that forward-looking undertakings in both Sweden and Denmark are applying more and more. This is the LEAN management/production philosophy which helps improve production with a lower resource cost: with lower human contribution, less equipment, within a shorter time period, less room.

16 undertakings that are active in the timber industry participated in the study trip. Representatives of Võru County Vocational Training Centre, Enterprise Estonia, Võru County Development Agency, Võru County Government, Võru Rural Municipality Government and the Estonian Embassy in Sweden participated in the study trip in addition to the undertakings.

The study trip was supported by the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Business and Industry.

This article is a general summary of the article published in the Võru Linna Leht. The entire article can be read in the Võru Linna Leht.