MERGING TECHNICAL COMPETENCES AND HUMAN RESOURCES WITH THE AIM AT CONTRIBUTING TO TRANSFORM THE ADRIATIC AREA IN A STABLE HUB FOR A SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

The Vision of Europe as knowledge-based society is funded on availability and application of knowledge in all segments of European life. Universities, as key provider of knowledge, and industry, as its largest consumer, are two pillows of this vision. Academic Institutions has a double role in provisioning of knowledge: "research" for creation of new knowledge and "education" as dissemination of current knowledge. In this investigation, a four-year cross-border collaboration is described, including strategy, mechanisms and tools adopted for supporting a wider cooperation between universities and industry. Background, challenges and concepts of long-term sustainability are also presented. Furthermore, a general overview of technical outcomes and advances, provided by a research and development joint action, thanks to this international cooperation, is illustrated. A deeper description regarding these technical investigations is proposed in the following articles of this Special Issue on "Wood: an Ancient Material for a Modern Quality".