People talking

Wood Companies Floored by Student Innovations

What could happen if you put EU legislations in the hands of a group of master’s students in innovation? We got the answer last Friday when four student groups presented their ideas for three wood processing companies in Småland.

For 100 days, students in the master’s program innovation through business, engineering and design have collaborated with the organisations Atab Trappan, Wigells Stolfabrik and Rappgo. The goal was to figure out how companies can adapt their products to the new requirements for environmental sustainability that the Ecodesign Regulation entails.

Creative solutions for sustainability challenges

Thea Gahnsby Dahl is one of the students and she says that they started by reading up on what the new legislation entails. Then they got to visit the companies to see what they need to do to comply with the new EU regulation.

Thea, student

Working with innovation in this way has been very fun and rewarding.

Thea Gahnsby Dahl, student

Another important part of the project was to take input from end consumers. Thea’s group presented an

information system that makes it possible to follow up with production data such as energy consumption and emission levels.

Roger Törnqvist, CEO of Atab Trappan, says that he appreciates the final product that the students presented and also wants to emphasise that the lessons they have learnt along the way are at least as important a part of this type of collaboration.

Roger, CEO Atab Trappan

With the students curiosity and commitment, we have gained both new perspectives and an awakening.

Roger Törnqvist, CEO Atab Trappan

Thea believes that a very big advantage has been working together in this way. Partly together with the companies but also that the students have different backgrounds.

"The best results come when we combine our skills in business, engineering and design. We have different perspectives on a question and can therefore come up with a better solution than if we had only looked at the issue from one perspective" says Thea.

Students work together with businesses

Wilma Lundgren, who is studying design, says that the collaboration with the companies is one of the highlights.

"The most enjoyable part has been working so closely with the companies. Here it has been about collaborating on a real case, both for us and for the companies" Wilma explains.

Wilma, student

She also emphasises the importance of the practical work.

"It is a wonderful feeling when everything falls into place and you get the aha moment that you get when you go out into production at the companies and work practically. It is so much easier to understand than when you read the theories about how something works" says Wilma.

The collaboration gives companies new perspectives

Tobias Ahnström, CEO of Rappgo, emphasises the importance of the students’ work for both the company and the industry at large.

Tobias, CEO Rappgo

The students project is really something that makes a difference – partly for us at Rappgo but also for the industry as a whole. Recycling concerns everyone and through the students ideas we can become pioneers and pave the way for how wooden floors of the future can become even more sustainable.

Tobias Ahnström, CEO Rappgo

He also highlights mutual learnings.

"Collaborating with the students has been amazing in many ways. Even if it takes time from regular work, the discussions we had are what took us forward. It is not only the students who benefit from working with real cases. We as a company also get an outside perspective on our production, with is really valuable!"

Roger Törnqvist, CEO of Atab Trappan, says.

"The students are our future colleagues so I believe it is our responsibility as a company to have these types of collaborations. In addition, we highly valued this external input. We saw a need to bring in new eyes into the company – something that the students could contribute with" says Roger.

A program with a focus on sustainable development

Miguel Salinas, who is one of three program coordinators, concludes by highlighting the students’ achievements and the importance of working with innovation.

"The students have yet again given us proof that it is not necessary to have large financial resources to be able to work with innovation."

With efforts from both the students and the companies, the project has not only led to creative solutions, but also laid the foundation for future collaborations and sustainable products. The program is one of two master programs in collaboration with IKEA and Södra through the strategic partnership “The Bridge”.

Ecodesign legislation

The new regulation sets requirements for environmental sustainability for almost all types of goods put on the European market. This includes, among other things, durability, reusability, upgradability and repairability of products and also includes a Digital Product Passport. Read more about the Ecodesign rules on the European Parliament’s website.