REGFUR: From Regional Traditions to Innovation in the Furniture Industry

Nine organisations from seven European countries are joining forces to bring the rich heritage of regional furniture-making traditions into the education of future designers and industry professionals. As part of REGFUR, an international project funded by the Erasmus+ programme, the partners will develop modern training programmes, educational materials and a multilingual e-learning platform. Their shared goal is to connect traditional furniture design with modern technologies, industrial practice and the needs of the changing furniture market.

The project started on 1 October 2026 and will run for 30 months. REGFUR brings together universities, design institutions and organisations representing the furniture industry from Poland, Bulgaria, Albania, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Kosovo.

Its main goal is to develop a modern approach to education in the furniture sector. This approach will combine knowledge of regional design traditions with furniture design, manufacturing technologies, production management and entrepreneurship.

Tradition as a Source of New Ideas

Europe’s furniture-making heritage includes a wide range of local materials, craft techniques, shapes and construction methods. Developed over generations, these traditional features can provide valuable inspiration for new design solutions.

REGFUR focuses on finding new ways to use this heritage rather than simply copying historical designs. Traditional proportions, decorative details, joining techniques and ways of using materials will be studied to explore how they can be applied in contemporary furniture design.

The project partners will research regional furniture-making traditions and the needs of potential furniture customers. The findings will be used to develop educational materials and practical design exercises, showing how regional inspirations can be turned into modern furniture solutions.

Bringing Education Closer to Industry Needs

Today, furniture design requires more than creativity. Designers also need knowledge of materials, construction, manufacturing technologies, production processes and market conditions. For this reason, REGFUR aims to connect design education with technical knowledge and real industrial practice.

The project will develop a modular training programme covering four main areas:

• Furniture Design – developing creativity and the ability to use regional inspirations in contemporary furniture design.
• Furniture Component Manufacturing Technologies – learning about traditional craft techniques as well as modern manufacturing methods and technologies.
• Production Management – understanding the technological, organisational and quality aspects of turning design concepts into finished products.
• Entrepreneurship – developing skills to assess the market potential of products and explore opportunities to bring design ideas into production.

The programme will help participants understand the entire furniture development process, from the first design concept to manufacturing and bringing the final product to market.

Project Results

REGFUR aims to develop educational tools that can continue to be used after the project has ended.

The main planned activities and results include:

1. Analysis of educational programmes and skills needs – identifying gaps in existing educational programmes and exploring how they can better meet the needs of the furniture sector.
2. Research into regional furniture design – documenting and analysing traditional furniture forms, techniques and construction methods, as well as exploring their potential use in modern design.
3. Development of a modular training programme – combining traditional design heritage with furniture design, manufacturing technologies, production management and entrepreneurship.
4. Preparation of educational materials – including textbooks, case studies, practical exercises, teaching materials for trainers and tools for assessing participants’ skills.
5. Creation of a multilingual e-learning platform – providing access to the educational materials developed during the project.
6. Organisation of practical training for students – giving participants the opportunity to apply their knowledge through design and technical tasks..

The educational solutions developed through REGFUR will be designed for use in different education systems. This will make them useful not only for the project partners but also for other educational institutions.

Who Will Benefit from REGFUR?
The main target group includes students and graduates in wood technology, furniture manufacturing, design and related technical fields. Through the new educational materials and training activities, they will be able to develop their design, technical and entrepreneurial skills. They will also learn how to apply regional design traditions in practice.
Universities, teachers, lecturers and trainers will also benefit from the project by gaining access to new educational content, case studies and teaching methods.
Another important group includes furniture manufacturers and industry organisations. Their involvement will help ensure that the training materials reflect real industry needs and better prepare future professionals for practical manufacturing conditions.

Nine OrNine Organisations, Seven Countries, One Shared Goal

1. REGFUR is being carried out by an international partnership that brings together the knowledge and experience of educational institutions, design organisations and business associations.
2. The project consortium includes:
3. Polish Chamber of Commerce of Furniture Manufacturers (OIGPM) – Poland, project coordinator.
4. Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) – Poland.
5. University of Forestry – Bulgaria.
6. Agricultural University of Tirana (Universiteti Bujqësor i Tiranës) – Albania.
7. Faculty of Design, An Independent Higher Education Institution – Slovenia.
   Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Srpska – Bosnia and Herzegovina.
   Cluster Legno, Arredo e Sistema Casa FVG – Italy.
8. University of Applied Sciences in Ferizaj (Universiteti i Shkencave të Aplikuara në Ferizaj) – Kosovo.
9. Shoqata Klasteri i Industrisë së Drurit – Albania.

By combining knowledge of regional furniture-making heritage with modern education, REGFUR aims to support the training of future professionals who can create original furniture designs that are also suitable for industrial production.

REGFUR shows how tradition can inspire new skills and ideas, while cooperation between education and industry can help build a stronger future for the European furniture sector.

Project Team Leader at the University of Forestry: Prof. Petar Antov, PhD

Project duration: 1 October 2026 – 31 March 2029 (30 months)

Total project budget: EUR 400,000.00

Budget allocated to the University of Forestry: EUR 44,777.00

Facebook page of the project: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61595682774637

LinkedIn page of the project: https://www.linkedin.com/company/regfur/