About the department

Department of Marketing, Trade and World Forestry was established as a newly created department at the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, Technical University in Zvolen on June 1, 1997. It belongs to the youngest departments at the Technical University. The main department's activity is in the sphere of marketing, trade policy and forest products trade, world resources of wood, innovation management,  legislative disciplines (labor and business law). At the present time there are one professor, three associate professors, and eight assistant’s professor, one doctoral student and one technical worker working at the department.

The department provides education in full-time and part-time studies. The department primary provides education at the Faculty of Wood Science and Technology at the following study programs:

• Economy and Management of Enterprises in Wood Processing Industry
• Wood Technology
• Economics and Enterprise Management
• Furniture and Interior Design
• Economy and Management of Natural Resources

Teaching process at the Faculty of Forestry has a long tradition, and it is aimed at the problems of world forestry, tropical and subtropical forestry and forest products trade. The subjects taught at the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology are aimed at the field of world forest resources, international trade policy, forest products trade, marketing, sales trainings, management of furniture department stores, sociology and psychology. Lectures in the sphere of marketing management are provided at the Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Department of Marketing, Trade and World Forestry together with the Department of Business Economics supervise the study branch "Enterprise management" and the study specialisations "Marketing and Trade" and "Wood Products", which are established within the branch "Enterprise Management".

The department has long-term cooperation with practice and other universities at national as well as international level.  Employees of department are members and representatives of management of domestic and international organizations, which are oriented towards trade, marketing and sustainable utilization of forest resources. Research in the area of world forest resources and their use is aimed at forest products production in the world, use of commercial tropical tree species in wood processing industry in Slovakia, possibilities of use of less known tropical tree species, wood processing in developing countries, trees introduction and silviculture in tropical and subtropical forests, growth and production process of certain fast-growing tree species. In the area of trade, research is aimed at European forest products trade, state trade policy, price policy, business legislation, structure of domestic and foreign forest products trade and trade patterns. Research in the area of marketing is concentrated on marketing analyses of companies, marketing decision making, development of a complex supply for customers, communication, market research, marketing information system, product strategies, decision making on the components of the marketing mix, and ethics.

As other developed countries, also Czechoslovakia started to provide so-called technical and professional aid to the developing countries. This was the main reason why the Department of World Forest Industry (DWFI) was founded at the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, Forestry and Wood Industry University College in Zvolen in 1965. At that time, the head of department was an external university lecturer Assoc. Professor A. Trávnik and the position of department deputy was held by J. Rís, MSc. Pedagogical process of the department started in the academic year 1969/70. Lectures from World Forest Industry were given for the student of both faculties Prof. Dérer, J. Rís, MSc, Assoc. Prof. A. Trávnik and K. Grün, MSc.

In 1970, Department of World Forest Industry was cancelled, and as a Section of World Forest Industry (SWFI) was assigned to the Department of Economics and Management of Wood Processing Industry at the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology. In 1974, the Section was moved within the organisation structure directly under the dean of the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology. Assoc. Prof. J. Borota, PhD became a head of Section and he stay in this position till his retirement in 1992. In 1992, a new head of Section became Assoc. Prof. M. Šupín, PhD. In 1981, the Section was assigned as an individual division to the Faculty of Forestry, Department of Economics and Management of Forestry. In 1991, the Section was once again assigned to the Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology and in 1995 to the Department of Business Economics at the Technical University in Zvolen (new name of the university from 17. 12. 1991). Based on the new needs and requirements, the Section was transformed to the individual Department of Marketing, Trade and World Forestry from 1. 6. 1997.

Within the research activities, the following projects were elaborated: "Research on thinning in artificially established forest stands of Pinus patula"(1979),"Composition and structure of high tropical forests in particular tropical countries - Congo" (1975), Gabon (1980) and Laos (1982). SWFI co-operated with the Wood and Furniture Research and Development Institute on the research project "Research on physical, mechanical and technical properties of less known tropical tree species". "Development of the Agro-forestry Complex in India" (1990). Department of World Forest Industry cooperated with the Research and Development Institute of the Wood and Furniture Industry in Bratislava in 1975 - 1992 to solve the research task of The Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon) "Research of Physical, Mechanical and Technological Properties of Lesser-known Tropical Timber". They were tested by the Mersawa, Keruing, Okoumé, Yang, Krabak, Ekoune, Yantandza, Wawa, Lati, Andoung, Diambi, Mutenye, Bintangoe, Bubinga, White and Red Lauan, Padouk, Awoura, Padouk, Awoura, Izombé, Kanda, Naga etc.

From the middle 70's to 1991, the Section of World Forest Industry was a Secretary of Section for Forestry and Wood Sciences of the Slovak Science Academy for the complex research of developing countries. The chairman of this Section was Assoc. Prof. J. Borota (from 1982) and the vice-chairman M. Šupín, MSc (from 1987). SWFI actively participated in organisation of the five Section Symposiums (1977, 1983, 1985, 1988 and 1990) that were aimed at forest resources in west and equator Africa and tropical Asia, pulp and paper industry in developing countries and rational use of tropical timber in Czechoslovak wood processing industry.

The scientific research area was oriented towards wood markets and wood products markets, innovation strategies, modeling of certification consequences, and determination of innovativeness barrier at SME, analyses of furniture markets, structure and form of tropical forests, complex e-learning activities for educational system at area of world resources and utilization of wood resources, production and flow of wood, commercial utilization of tropical wood in Slovakia.  Scientific area of trade is focused on Europe trade of wood, European market trade policy, business legislation, structure of domestic timber trade. Scientific area of marketing is oriented towards marketing analyses of the companies, creation of complex product supply for customers, research of market, marketing information system, strategy of products, marketing mix tools and business ethic.

International projects were investigated as a part of 5. and 6. framework project of EU, projects TEMPUS and Leonardo da Vinci Socrates – Erasmus  COST E 44, COST FP 1104, FP 1405 and CA16229. Domestic’s projects were investigated as a part of grant agency APVV, VEGA, KEGA

The department of Marketing, Trade and world Forestry cooperating with a lot of foreign universities.  The results of scientific and   research activities were presented at international scientific conferences, including Marketing and Trade Conference which was organized by Department of Marketing, Trade and World Forestry every year between 2000 and 2011. Results were further presented at the international scientific conference WoodEMA. Department is co-organizer of conference WoodEMA. For the organization of the conferences “WoodEMA Vyhne 2010” and “WoodEMA Zvolen 2014”, the Department of Marketing, Trade and World Forestry has been awarded. In addition to organizing conferences, KMOSL participated in the organization of the Exhibition of Photographs "Tropical Forests of Africa and Asia” in celebration of the 90th birthday of prof. Ján Borota and a memoir study from the history of the Department of World Forestry and Timber Production of the University of Forestry and Wood Technology in Zvolen.