Justification of the Proyect:

The initiative Interreg III-B “Atlantic Space” 2000 - 2006 of the FEDER has as an objective to reinforce the economic and social cohesion in the European Union. This is why there have been setlled the series of measures, grouped in 4 priorities, that tend to integrate and to implement joint strategies, which can be developed through the actions of cooperation oriented towards the fortification of the economic competitiveness in the Atlantic Space, among other aspects.

The present project is adapted to priority A (“Polycentric Structuring of the area and development of Centres of Excellence”) and custom-made A2 (“THE PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE ”). This adjustment is evident, considering the main target of the project, and the actions that have been contemplated in their configuration.

Basically, this project tries put in common knowledge and experiences in technologies of industrial transformation of the pine wood of Pinus Pinaster in the regions of Galicia, North of Portugal and Aquitania.

These regions have, as a main common characteristic, that an important proportion of forest surface is occupied by the Pinus Pinaster Atlantic subspecies. The importance from the economic point of view is the transformation of the wood of Pinus pinaster, in Portugal , Aquitania and Spain , proves the fact that this species occupies more than 1 million hectares, producing around 16 million cubic meters every year.

Consequently, the Pinus pinaster constitutes the raw material that suplies the wood industry in these three regions. The actions considered in the project try to extend the impact of the investigation and development studies about the raw material that, in Europe is concentrated in the 3 considered regions. The project tries to favour the promotion and the development of an excellence centre of strategic nature, that reinforces the competitiveness of three regions that have an important part of their potential economic development in the promotion of the forest activity and the activities related with the transformation of wood.

Finally, it is important to add that, considering the configuration of the industrial sector, in the considered area exists the integration of small and medium companies that in this cooperation project is seen very favoured.