Centers/ Laboratories

Center for Marketing and Economics in Wood Industry

The Center for Marketing and Economics in Wood industry was established in February 2004. The need for the establishment of the Center was created after the adoption of the new concept of the study program at the then Department of wood processing, after which three streams were created of which one was related to the education of students in the field of management and marketing in wood processing. An associated laboratory for the practical work of students and production of their graduate and master’s theses in the field of market research of wood and of timber products was established within the Center.

In addition, the objectives of establishing the Center for Marketing and Economics in Wood Industry were:

To establish a single databasis on the number and structure of companies in the wood industry of Serbia, the number of employees, the size and structure of revenues by activities within the wood industry of Serbia, foreign trade balance, the results of business operations by individual activities within the wood industry sector of Serbia;
Research and techno-economic analysis in the field of wood industry;
Provision of space and facilities for the research work of teachers in the subjects Timber trade, Wood industry economics and Wood processing marketing;
Create opportunities for seminars and other forms of practical training for professionals in production, aimed at accelerating the transfer of knowledge.
Establishment of the Centre for Marketing and Economics in Wood Industry has quickly made its full impact in all these segments, especially in the unique database of Serbian wood industry, whose data, in addition to the needs of teaching and research are now used for making key strategic documents of the wood industry of Serbia (strategies, action plans, development policies, etc.). Data of this Centre have so far been used in the preparation of over 20 graduate theses, 4 master’s theses, 2 specialist theses, 2 master of science theses, and 3 defended doctoral dissertations, as well as a large number of published scientific papers. The above database represents the most relevant source of information on the timber industry in Serbia, which is confirmed by the fact that data from this database were used for the analysis of the current condition of wood industry in Serbia for the needs of the “Action Plan for support of the timber industry of Serbia in exports of products with high added value“, and “Strategy of development of wood and furniture industry of Serbia for the 2017-2022 period “, produced for the needs of the Government of the Republic of Serbia in 2016.

Center Staff (2016):
Manager: prof. Dr. Branko Glavonjić
Professional associate: Ljiljana Pajović, Grad. economist
Associate: Gordana Stijepčić

Center for timber trade

The Center for timber trade was established in June 2004. The need for the establishment of the Center was created as a result of the fact that current developments in the international market of timber and wood products to a much greater extent affect the price increase of raw materials than of final products. This requires significantly higher efficiency of the use of raw materials and overall cost reduction in the field of timber and wood products trade, which raises increasingly complex tasks for the professional staff engaged in wood and wood products trade. They range from activities of research of domestic and foreign markets to the implementation of concrete activities in domestic and foreign trade.
A unique range of samples of the most important commercial wood species from temperate and tropical zones that are traded in worldwide was created within the Center.

The following activities are implemented by the Center for timber trade:

The teaching process – practical exercises in the subject Timber and wood products trade;
Establishment of a single database on production, imports, exports, consumption and prices of the main wood assortments and wood products;
Monitoring of trade flows of timber products in Serbia and their most important export markets;
Research of the Market of timber and wood products in Serbia and the international market;
Monitoring of legislation in the field of timber and wood products trade at home and abroad,
Provision of space and facilities for scientific and research work of teachers in the subjects Timber trade, Wood industry economics and Wood products marketing;
Create opportunities for seminars and other forms of practical training for professionals in production, aimed at accelerating the transfer of knowledge;
Create opportunities for the exchange of data with companies and similar centers in the country and abroad.

Establishment of the Centre and the formation of a unified database of wood products are now of great importance for providing support to students during their graduate, master’s and specialist theses and to assistants and teachers at the Chair in the production of doctoral dissertations and research papers. The center has appropriate national significance because the data from the database of the Center are sent as national data for Serbia to the UN Timber Committee and FAO organization of the United Nations. In addition, the data of the Center have so far been used in the preparation of over 15 graduate theses, 2 master’s theses, 7 specialist theses, 2 master of science theses and 2 defended doctoral dissertations, as well as a large number of published scientific papers.

Center Staff (2016):
Manager: prof. Dr. Branko Glavonjić
Professional associate: Aleksandra Lazarević