SerQ- Centro de Inovação e Competências da Floresta

What SerQ- Centro de Inovação e Competências da Floresta does

SerQ - Centro de Inovação e Competências da Floresta is a private non-profit association (Associação) headquartered in Sertã, Portugal, founded by three anchor institutions: the Municipality of Sertã, the University of Coimbra, and LNEC (Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil). It operates as a specialized research, development, and innovation center exclusively focused on forest-based products and the timber construction value chain, serving forest producers, forestry associations, architecture and construction firms, civil engineering companies, and public sector entities across Portugal and the broader European Sudoe region. With 16 employees, the center combines scientific research with applied industry services across forestry, laboratory testing, engineering/construction, sustainability/circular economy, and scientific dissemination.

SerQ's core technology portfolio spans laboratory testing of wood and wood-based products (structural performance, preservation treatment retention, acoustic/thermal characterization), life cycle assessment (LCA) and carbon footprint calculation per EU Recommendation 2021/2279, hybrid timber-concrete construction systems (HyMoTion) with reversible connections and BIM integration, and digital monitoring tools for forest management. The center has developed proprietary technical IP including a pioneer carbon avoided methodology (first worldwide application for Silvex's collection bags for Nestlé Nespresso SA capsules, independently verified by Bureau Veritas), the Sustain4est environmental/carbon footprint monitoring platform, and the DucTimber ductility-enhanced structural wood product line. Its FabLab SerQ offers digital fabrication and prototyping, while an associated incubator hosts forest-based startups.

SerQ's business model operates on three streams: (1) tiered membership fees from associates (Type A €2,000/year, Type B €800/year, Type C €300/year, with public entities exempt); (2) R&D project funding from EU and national programs including CENTRO 2030, COMPETE 2030, Portugal 2030, FCT, Interreg Sudoe, and Fundação 'la Caixa'/BPI; and (3) fee-for-service technical consulting and laboratory testing. Go-to-market is event-driven — the center organizes major conferences (TimberWorQs, ISCHP, Egurtek), training workshops, and the ARRISCA C business idea competition to build pipeline, alongside direct consultancy and consortium-based R&D project execution. Notable consortium engagements include the 23-partner INOVC+ ecosystem (€4.1M, 85% EU co-funded), Eguralt (€1,011,562 FEDER across 8 beneficiaries in 6 regions), and HyMoTion with SPRAL, CARMO, and two universities.

Name

SerQ- Centro de Inovação e Competências da Floresta

Legal name

SerQ - Centro de Inovação e Competências da Floresta

Website

https://serq.pt

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SerQ is a Portuguese non-profit forest innovation center, founded by the Municipality of Sertã, University of Coimbra, and LNEC, providing R&D, laboratory testing, technical consulting, and incubation for the forest and timber construction sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sertã

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: SerQ generates revenue through annual membership fees at three tiers: Type A (€2,000/year with 20% service discount, 16h free consulting, 16h training), Type B (€800/year with 10% discount, 8h consulting, 8h training), Type C (€300/year with 5% discount, 4h consulting, 4h training). Public entities (municipalities, CIMs, public institutions) are members without annual fees under Type A conditions.
2. R&D Project Funding (EU, National, Regional): SerQ conducts R&D&I projects funded by multiple programs including CENTRO 2030, COMPETE 2030, Portugal 2030, FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), Interreg Sudoe, and the Promove program (Fundação 'la Caixa' / BPI / FCT). Projects include HyMoTion, Sustain4est, ECOQUALIFICA+, F4F (Forest4Future), Value2Prevent, DucTimber, Eguralt, and others, providing funding for research activities and staff.
3. Technical and Consulting Services: SerQ provides fee-for-service consulting and technical services across its areas of specialization: Forest, Industry/Testing, Engineering/Construction, Sustainability/Circular Economy, and Scientific/Institutional Dissemination. Services include laboratory testing, technical consultancy, and engineering services for timber construction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

SerQ is a Portuguese non-profit innovation center that provides applied research, laboratory testing, technical consulting, FabLab prototyping, and business incubation services focused on forest products, timber construction, and sustainable bioeconomy. It serves the forest industry, construction sector, and public entities through R&D projects and specialized expertise.

Product overview

SerQ operates as a forest innovation and competence center offering a portfolio of interconnected services and research projects. The core offerings include the FabLab SerQ for digital fabrication and prototyping, various R&D projects (Forest4Future, HyMoTion, Sustain4est, DucTimber) focused on forest valorization and wood construction innovation, and specialized laboratory testing services for wood products. The center also provides consultancy services in forest management, engineering for wood construction, and sustainability/circular economy solutions. Together, these form an integrated ecosystem supporting the forest value chain from research and development through to product certification and market deployment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Applied R&D Services Applied research and development services for forest products, timber construction, and bioeconomy, delivered through funded collaborative projects for forest industry, construction firms, and public sector clients.
• Laboratory Testing Services Specialized laboratory testing and characterization of forest products, wood-based materials, and timber construction components for industry clients needing technical validation.
• Technical Consulting Services Expert consulting services for forest industry, construction sector, and public sector clients covering forest value chains, timber engineering, and sustainable bioeconomy strategy.
• FabLab Services Digital fabrication and prototyping lab providing access to manufacturing equipment and rapid prototyping capabilities for forest product innovation and bio-based material development.
• Business Incubator Services Incubation services supporting start-ups and entrepreneurs developing businesses in the forest value chain, bioeconomy, and sustainable timber construction sectors.
• Association Membership Membership in the SerQ association providing access to the innovation center's network, services, and community. Offered at three tiers priced at €2,000, €800, and €300, corresponding to different levels of engagement and benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• First worldwide application of carbon avoided methodology for Silvex collection bags — independently verified by Bureau Veritas
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• CCDRC (Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Centro)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2025CCDRC leads the CR INOVE initiative (Regional Catalyst for Innovation) for the Centro region. SerQ collaborates with CCDRC on CR INOVE business encounter events presenting financing opportunities for 2025-2030.
• AFLOBEI (Associação de Produtores Florestais da Beira Interior)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025AFLOBEI is a partner in the Sustain4est project (funded by Programa Promove 2024, Fundação 'la Caixa') alongside SerQ, contributing forest management expertise for the development of an environmental and carbon footprint monitoring platform.
• SPRAL (Sociedade de Pré-esforçados de Aveiro)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SPRAL is the lead beneficiary of the HyMoTion project (CENTRO 2030-FEDER), developing hybrid timber-concrete modular construction solutions with SerQ, University of Aveiro, UC, and CARMO as consortium partners.
• CARMO (Carmo Estruturas em Madeira S.A.)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CARMO is a consortium partner in the HyMoTion project alongside SerQ, contributing timber construction expertise for the development of hybrid timber-concrete structural components.
• Universidade de AveiromajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025University of Aveiro is a research partner in the HyMoTion project, providing technical expertise alongside SerQ, SPRAL, UC, and CARMO for hybrid timber-concrete construction development.
• UC, ISA, CCVF (Proença-a-Nova), Proentia – Essential OilsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021Partners in the Value2Prevent project (36 months, FCT-funded) led by SerQ, focused on forest biomass valorization for wildfire risk management and circular economy product development.
• Município da SertãcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Municipality of Sertã is one of the three founding partners of SerQ (alongside the University of Coimbra and LNEC) and co-organizes events and initiatives including the CR INOVE business encounter and the annual TimberWorQs conference.
• Universidade de CoimbracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Coimbra is one of the three founding partners of SerQ, providing academic research support, co-organizing events (ISCHP 2024, TimberWorQs 2026), and collaborating on R&D projects including HyMoTion, DucTimber, and Value2Prevent.
• LNEC (Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLNEC is one of the three founding partners of SerQ, collaborating on timber construction research, standards development, and co-organizing events including the TimberWorQs conference series.
• INOVC+ Consortium (23 partners led by University of Coimbra)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerQ is a co-promoter of the INOVC+ project — a strategic innovation ecosystem for knowledge and technology transfer in the Centro region — which runs for 30 months with ~€4.1M total investment, 85% co-funded by CENTRO 2030.
• Inovc+ Partners (23 entities)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe INOVC+ consortium includes 23 entities including universities (UC, UA, IPC, UBI, IPLeiria, IPCB, IPG, IPT, ISBuilt), polytechnics, research centers (Biocant Park, Itecons), technology parks (TagusValley, Biocant, Óbidos), AEMITEQ, RAÍZ, AIBILI, and SerQ.
• Cluster Habitat SustentávelmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerQ is a partner in the ECOQUALIFICA+ project (COMPETE 2030), led by Cluster Habitat Sustentável, alongside CATIM, CeNTI, and CITEVE — focused on sustainability and competitiveness in the Habitat value chain.
• LNECcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLNEC co-organizes the TimberWorQs conference series with SerQ and UC, and collaborates on projects including forest4future2021 and timber construction research.
• AFLOBEImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFLOBEI is a partner in the Sustain4est project, which SerQ leads, focused on developing a tool for calculating environmental and carbon footprints of forest products and forest management operations.
• Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerISA co-organizes technical events with SerQ including the 'Valorização da Cadeia de Valor de Base Florestal' workshop, and is a partner in Value2Prevent and INOVC+ projects.
• SONAE ARAUCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSONAE ARAUCO participates in SerQ-organized technical events on the forest value chain, contributing industry perspective on wood products and sustainable manufacturing.
• Exploratório - Centro de Ciência Viva de CoimbraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Exploratório co-organizes the 'Cafés com Ciência' science communication series with SerQ and the Municipality of Sertã, bringing informal science learning to the region.
• Interreg Sudoe Consortium (8 beneficiaries, 6 regions)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerQ participates in the Eguralt Interreg Sudoe project (€1,011,562.20 FEDER budget) with 8 beneficiaries from 6 regions across Portugal, Spain, and France, focused on medium-height timber construction.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Itecons: University of Coimbra-affiliated institute providing laboratory testing, certification, and R&D for the construction sector—directly comparable to SerQ's Laboratório de Ensaios and engineering/construction services.
• ForestWISE CoLAB: Portuguese collaborative laboratory dedicated to forest and wildfire research, sharing SerQ's forest-focused R&D mandate and operating a similar consortium-driven model with university and industry partners.
• IPN - Instituto Pedro Nunes: Portuguese technology transfer and startup incubation institute combining R&D, FabLab, and incubator activities—a near-identical integrated innovation center model to SerQ's SERQRIATIVO program.
• RAIZ - Instituto de Investigação da Floresta e Papel: Portugal's forest and paper products R&D institute, providing applied research, testing, and consulting to the forest value chain—an almost identical scope to SerQ's industry/testing and forestry services.
• CATIM: Portuguese technology center providing testing, certification, and R&D services to industry—sharing the Portuguese non-profit technology center model with SerQ and competing for similar EU/national funding streams.
• CITEVE: Portuguese technology center for the textile and clothing industry; follows the same technology center structure, EU-funded R&D project model, and member-based ecosystem as SerQ.
• Cluster Habitat Sustentável: Portuguese sustainability cluster leading the ECOQUALIFICA+ consortium with SerQ—comparable focus on sustainability, circular economy, and construction value chain collaboration.

Broad incumbents

• LNEC - Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil: Portugal's national civil engineering laboratory and one of SerQ's three founding partners, providing broader civil engineering research and standards work that overlaps with and supersedes SerQ's timber construction scope.
• RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: Swedish state R&D group with dedicated bioeconomy and wood materials programs—provides a comparable applied forest/wood R&D capability at substantially larger scale than SerQ.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finnish state R&D center with active programs in biomass, sustainable construction, and forest-based materials—comparable applied science capabilities and consortium model, but operating at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@serqcentrodeinovacaoecompe2331
• Facebookfacebook.com/serqserta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/serq-centro-de-inova-ao-e-competencias-da-floresta-associa-ao
• Instagraminstagram.com/serq.inovacao

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SerQ- Centro de Inovação e Competências da Floresta