Kompetenz Möbelentwicklung

We support the furniture and interior design industries with standards testing, design optimisation and the development of products, processes and their virtual presentation.

We focus on alternative, intelligent and sustainable furniture and interior design systems, furniture components made of bio-based materials and visualisation in virtual and augmented reality.

Institute for Materials and Wood Technology IWH

We research, develop and optimise innovative and sustainable materials for the timber and construction industries, supporting you from the initial idea through to the finished marketable product.

Service portfolio

We provide tailored solutions for companies in the furniture and interior design sectors. We provide the following services:

Research projects commissioned by companies and institutions
Technology developments tailored to the size of the company (from micro-enterprises to industrial companies)
Support with applying for research funding from national and international funding organisations (including Innosuisse, FOEN, Horizon 2020, M-ERA.NET)
Testing services for furniture and furniture components as well as fittings from the entire office, home, kitchen and school furniture range
Material testing on solid wood and wood-based materials
Environmental analyses
Testing services for material emissions and indoor air quality
Expert opinions

Training and continuing education

We are heavily involved in teaching and continuing education. We supervise students’ projects and theses. We also frequently engage master’s students as assistants in research projects. In this way, we contribute to training the experts of the future.

We have connections with the following academic programmes and courses of continuing education:

Knowledge and technology transfer

We aim to transfer all non-confidential research into practice. To this end, we hold events and lectures, write specialist articles, conduct tours, organise workshops, and present our results at trade fairs.

Infrastructure

We have well-equipped laboratories for the professional performance of services and development mandates:

Furniture testing laboratory
Material testing laboratory
Virtual reality laboratory
Surface testing laboratory
Material emission testing laboratory

Areas of expertise

We support our partners and customers with our expertise and experience in the following areas:

Development of furniture and furnishing concepts
Composite materials
Furniture testing
Emissions from furniture and furnishings
Development of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) solutions for interior design
Surface finishing
Adhesives
Ecological evaluation of products and processes in furniture and interior design

Institute for Materials and Wood Technology IWH

Furniture development is one of the key focus areas of the Institute for Materials and Wood Technology IWH. At the IWH, we develop and optimise multifunctional wood and composite materials, as well as innovative products for the timber and construction industries, with a focus on the sustainable use of resources. Other key focus areas include: