The Strategic Agenda of RDT for the Forest sector was published by the European Technology Platform. This document is the result of two years consultation of more than 700 proposals coming from the forest sector in its large sense, going from forest management to paper and packs, passing by timber wood and wood-energy. Representatives from all areas gathered the national support groups, including industries, forest owners, public organisations and participated actively to this initiative, as also the representatives of the European Union.
This agenda its an ambitious initiative resulting from a public private partnership on which the forest world was mainly represented by the EFI.
This document is of main importance for the research/development of the forest sector, as it will serve as a basis and framework to the European Union for the funding the next 7th PCRD framework programme 2007-2013.
It results from this agenda directives of research highly orientated for competitively and industrial development. Actually from 26 areas of strategic research 5 are directly linked to the forest management.
The contributions and benefits expected were the following :
- New innovating products and services orientated towards the expectations of the consumers and clients
- A sustainable energetic profile of Europe
- A growing availability of the raw material
- Improved methodology for the sustainable forest management
- growing force of the biofuel
- No job losses, specially in the rural areas
- Efficient development of the structured research networks
The strategic objectives identified by the platform are
- Development of innovating products for the markets and the growing needs of the consumers
- Development of intelligent and efficient fabrication process associating the reduction of energy
- Reinforcement of the availability and the usage of the forest biomass for products and energy
- Response to the multifunctional requests for forest and its management
- The sector on a societal point of view
It can be consulted on the website of the technological platform www.forestplatform.org