On 27 February 2026, around 40 participants from Eastern Styria gathered at Weitzer Woodsolutions in Weiz for the stakeholder dialogue “Diversity on Site: Eastern Styria – Forest–Wood–Bioeconomy as a Regional Asset.” The open dialogue format was organised as part of the information campaign “Vielfalt braucht Bewirtschaftung (Diversity Needs Management)” and brought together stakeholders from business, education, the public sector and regional development.
Participants shared regional perspectives, identified synergies and defined initial approaches for collaboration and implementation within the region. The discussion focused on three key themes: innovation and cooperation, education and skills development, and the positioning of a strong region.
Regional networks as drivers for implementation
The dialogue clearly showed that Eastern Styria already has a strong foundation of know-how and networks along the forest–wood–bioeconomy value chain. The key challenge now is to make targeted use of existing interfaces and strengthen cooperation.
The location in Weiz provided a particularly fitting setting: the innovative host company Weitzer Woodsolutions and the Wood Vision Lab offered insights into practical applications and ongoing developments, highlighting the region’s strong innovation capacity.
Among the participants were representatives from business, regional politics and networks, including Monika Langs (Vice Mayor of Weiz), Martin Buchsbaum (Regional Management Eastern Styria), Michael Schickhofer (Styrian Business Promotion Agency – SFG), Brigitte Marold (Association of the Austrian Wood Industry, WKO), Alexander Pinter (Wood Cluster Styria) and Christian Metschina (Chamber of Agriculture Styria). The broad participation underlines the importance of the bioeconomy for regional development.
About “Vielfalt braucht Bewirtschaftung”
The event was organised as part of the information campaign “Diversity Needs Management.” The campaign highlights the benefits and impacts of the forest–wood–bioeconomy value chain through regional dialogue formats, media productions and partnerships that make key future topics tangible.
Contact for inquiries about the campaign
Lisa Münzer (Campaign Lead)
+43 664 20 33 931
office@lisa-muenzer.at
