This report was produced as part of the Smart SMEs project and was funded by the Alpine Region Preparatory Action Fund (ARPAF II). It was prepared by Thomas Kadelbach in cooperation with Peter Niederer from the Swiss Center for Mountain Regions (SAB) in Berne, Switzerland.

The report presents the results of a regional case study on the potential of digitalisation for the wood value chain in the Swiss canton of Valais. Analogous to the main questions of the "Smart SMEs" project, it includes the following three thematic focal points:
- Wood value chain in the canton of Valais
- Digitisation environment and innovation promotion
- Degree of digitisation of the companies
The synthetic data on the wood value chain in Valais as well as on the digitisation environment and the promotion of innovation are mainly based on literature and internet research and statistical information. To assess the degree of digitisation of the companies, 13 in-depth interviews were conducted (length 1.5 hours at least) with company managers and representatives of associations between June and September 2020. The semi-structured interviews were based on the standard questionnaire of the "Smart SMEs" project (elaborated by project part-ner BioPro) and focused on regional cooperation in the wood value chain, the company and digitisation strategy, areas of application of digital solutions, the cost-benefit ratio, and opportunities and challenges in connection with the new technologies.

For more informations about the Smart SMEs project: https://www.alpine-region.eu/projects/smart-smes