Over a hundred products representative of Slovenian wood design were put on display in Ljubljana on 13 May at an annual exhibition aimed at promoting wood and wood products and the country's wood-processing industry.

Held for the 16th year, the exhibition Charm of Wood will be running at the Cankarjev Dom arts centre until 19 May, after which it will visit several other locations across the country.

The opening ceremony featured several senior officials, as well as Oskar Kogoj, an internationally-acclaimed industrial designer, who noted the importance of the wood-processing industry for Slovenia through history, and the opportunities for the industry abroad.

The exhibition is held with the support of the Economy Ministry and the Spirit Slovenija agency for the promotion of entrepreneurship and investment.

They have been promoting the use of wood among the general public and in industry, as well as promoting woodworking jobs among young people in cooperation with educational institutions and businesses.

"The Economy Ministry is aware of the importance of wood, but also of the shortcomings that prevent the use of wood in Slovenia from increasing. However, increased promotion has produced results," Economy Minister Matjaž Han said, announcing further activities.

He said the efforts have borne fruit, as the number of students enrolled in woodworking schools is increasing.

But Franc Pohleven, the initiator of the exhibition, and Maks Merela, the deputy dean of the Ljubljana Biotechnical Faculty, regretted that Slovenians are still not sufficiently aware of the potential of wood and forests.

"Slovenia is a country rich in forests, so it makes me wonder time and again that some Slovenian wood-processing companies should be forced to import wood from abroad," Merla said.

All the products displayed have labels showing how much they have contributed to reducing CO2 in the atmosphere.