Furniture labelled “Minjara” on display in Paris in September
Minjara was inaugurated in September 2018 and is a space of over 1,500 m² where all actors in the wood sector – suppliers, producers, designers… – can meet, be put in touch with potential clients and benefit from customised services (workshops, training, access to machines for design and prototyping…). Minjara is also a brand and quality label that aims to get furniture from Tripoli recognised and increase its competitiveness on both domestic and international markets.
A first collection of “Minjara Editions” furniture has been created thanks to this initiative. It will be on display from 7 to 17 September at the residence of the Ambassador of Lebanon in Paris, then in Lebanon from late September onwards. Through this exhibition, which gathers 10 Lebanese signatures, you will discover the approaches, know-how and collaborative work with the craftspeople of furniture from Tripoli.
Wood, a focus sector for Tripoli
In Lebanon, the furniture industry has traditionally been a driver of the economy. The city of Tripoli was at the centre of these dynamics, housing a large number of wood warehouses and wood workers. However, the sector has been facing new challenges since 2010, which include the slowdown in growth, the decline in demand for property purchases, the increasing import of cheap furniture and the economic impact of the Syrian conflict in the region.
The European Union has developed PSD-P to help sector actors restore their competitiveness, and especially the smallest (SMEs). It has entrusted its implementation to Expertise France, which has partnered with the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI), the Business Incubator Association in Tripoli (BIAT), the company Terea and the agency Markits for the deployment of activities.
PSD-P started by mapping the actors involved to have updated data on actors in the wood sector. This has led to the creation of a sector observatory. It is available online (www.furnituretripoli.com) and gathers information on the actors identified in the wood sector, markets… Advice and tools are also made available. Market studies have completed knowledge about the issues and needs of the sector, which has led to the development of Minjara.
Training for woodworkers and designers has supplemented these tools in order to meet both technical needs (Computer-Aided Design, 2D and 3D design…) and commercial needs (marketing, management, sales, communication…). Furthermore, 45 beneficiaries have been given personalised support via a diagnostic of their structure and coaching tailored to their needs.
PSD-P, which will come to an end in September 2019, is financed with EUR 15m by the European Union. In addition to the wood sector, the project has supported certain agricultural sectors in the Akkar and Bekaa regions.
To find out more, follow Minjara on Facebook: @MinjaraTripoli
Consult the PSD-P project sheet and discover the project website: www.psdplebanon.com