Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FOREST4EU (European innovation partnership network promoting operational groups dedicated to forestry and agroforestry)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-01-01 al 2024-06-30
Forests and agroforestry systems, covering over 47% of Europe's land, are crucial for environmental health, providing ecosystem services, and supporting rural development through job creation and product supply. These systems are key to the European Green Deal’s goals, including climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, there's a growing need for enhanced skills and innovation in managing these areas, especially among the 16 million landowners who control about 60% of these systems.
The EU's EIP-AGRI measure, through Operational Groups (OGs), supports collaborative innovation, bringing together various stakeholders to tackle sector-specific challenges and develop new solutions. Despite this, integration and cross-border dissemination of these innovations are often lacking, and there is an uneven distribution of OGs across Europe, with countries like Italy and Spain being more active than others. This imbalance highlights the need for wider dissemination and integration of successful innovations.
FOREST4EU aims to address these challenges by establishing a European multi-actor network to promote best practices and innovations in forestry and agroforestry. The project focuses on five key objectives:
Innovation Topic Hubs (ITHubs): Five cross-country hubs focusing on wood mobilization, climate adaptation, sustainable management, non-wood products, and agroforestry.
Knowledge Acquisition and Capacity Building: Gathering information from OGs and creating multilingual capacity-building materials.
Knowledge Transfer: Enhancing the adoption of best practices through materials like videos and study visits.
Policy Engagement: Sharing policy-relevant insights with EU and member state decision-makers.
Supporting New OGs: Encouraging the establishment of new OGs, particularly in underrepresented regions, through strong science-policy dialogue and dissemination of successful examples.
The EU's EIP-AGRI measure, through Operational Groups (OGs), supports collaborative innovation, bringing together various stakeholders to tackle sector-specific challenges and develop new solutions. Despite this, integration and cross-border dissemination of these innovations are often lacking, and there is an uneven distribution of OGs across Europe, with countries like Italy and Spain being more active than others. This imbalance highlights the need for wider dissemination and integration of successful innovations.
FOREST4EU aims to address these challenges by establishing a European multi-actor network to promote best practices and innovations in forestry and agroforestry. The project focuses on five key objectives:
Innovation Topic Hubs (ITHubs): Five cross-country hubs focusing on wood mobilization, climate adaptation, sustainable management, non-wood products, and agroforestry.
Knowledge Acquisition and Capacity Building: Gathering information from OGs and creating multilingual capacity-building materials.
Knowledge Transfer: Enhancing the adoption of best practices through materials like videos and study visits.
Policy Engagement: Sharing policy-relevant insights with EU and member state decision-makers.
Supporting New OGs: Encouraging the establishment of new OGs, particularly in underrepresented regions, through strong science-policy dialogue and dissemination of successful examples.
Established 5 Innovation Topic Hubs and a Transversal Hub:
FOREST4EU has set up five ITHubs and a transversal Innovation Hub, fostering collaboration in the forest and agroforestry sectors. A methodological approach for establishing these hubs facilitated the collection and processing of knowledge from OGs. The hubs have engaged over 250 stakeholders, forming a robust Community of Practice.
Facilitation of Integrative Knowledge Exchanges:
The project collected practical knowledge from 86 OGs, identifying 175 innovations. This knowledge has been summarized and linked to original materials, aiding the creation of practice abstracts and factsheets. These resources are disseminated through the EIP-AGRI website and other platforms, ensuring widespread access.
International Dissemination of Knowledge:
FOREST4EU has prepared 101 practice abstracts and plans to produce 175, contributing to knowledge sharing across the EU.
Factsheets:
The project will publish factsheets in various repositories, enhancing visibility and sustainability of the knowledge base.
Active Knowledge Uptake:
The project developed 18 capacity-building materials and organized study visits to facilitate direct learning from OGs.
Identification of Lessons Learned for Policy Makers:
FOREST4EU assesses strengths and weaknesses of OGs, providing valuable insights for policy makers. The project has established Policy Focus Groups for Central, South-East, and South-West Europe, involving 109 members in discussions to foster innovation.
Targeted Outreach of Relevant Knowledge:
A comprehensive communication strategy has been implemented to reach a wide audience, maximizing the impact of FOREST4EU's findings and resources.
FOREST4EU has set up five ITHubs and a transversal Innovation Hub, fostering collaboration in the forest and agroforestry sectors. A methodological approach for establishing these hubs facilitated the collection and processing of knowledge from OGs. The hubs have engaged over 250 stakeholders, forming a robust Community of Practice.
Facilitation of Integrative Knowledge Exchanges:
The project collected practical knowledge from 86 OGs, identifying 175 innovations. This knowledge has been summarized and linked to original materials, aiding the creation of practice abstracts and factsheets. These resources are disseminated through the EIP-AGRI website and other platforms, ensuring widespread access.
International Dissemination of Knowledge:
FOREST4EU has prepared 101 practice abstracts and plans to produce 175, contributing to knowledge sharing across the EU.
Factsheets:
The project will publish factsheets in various repositories, enhancing visibility and sustainability of the knowledge base.
Active Knowledge Uptake:
The project developed 18 capacity-building materials and organized study visits to facilitate direct learning from OGs.
Identification of Lessons Learned for Policy Makers:
FOREST4EU assesses strengths and weaknesses of OGs, providing valuable insights for policy makers. The project has established Policy Focus Groups for Central, South-East, and South-West Europe, involving 109 members in discussions to foster innovation.
Targeted Outreach of Relevant Knowledge:
A comprehensive communication strategy has been implemented to reach a wide audience, maximizing the impact of FOREST4EU's findings and resources.
The FOREST4EU project has significantly advanced innovation in the forest and agroforestry sectors across Europe. By facilitating the dissemination of practical knowledge developed by OGs, the project has enabled a unique cross-border exchange of innovative practices, elevating standards within the sector and bridging knowledge gaps.
Key Results and Potential Impacts
Widespread Dissemination of Practical Knowledge:
FOREST4EU's documentation of 175 innovations has created a rich repository accessible to diverse stakeholders, promoting cross-border dissemination.
Establishment of Innovation Topic Hubs:
The ITHubs have been pivotal in disseminating knowledge, with a Community of Practice engaging over 250 stakeholders.
Capacity-Building and Active Knowledge Uptake:
The project has equipped practitioners with tailored capacity-building materials, enhancing the application of innovations.
Policy Insights and Recommendations:
Engagement with policymakers has aligned regional practices with EU objectives, facilitating innovation adoption.
Ensuring Further Uptake and Success
To sustain these achievements, continued emphasis on EIP-AGRI OGs as vital assets for local and national innovation is essential. Disseminating their evidence, particularly in regions lacking CAP financing, ensures their innovative potential is recognized and utilized across the EU. Key areas for attention include:
Further Research and Demonstration:
Continued efforts are vital for validating new practices and building stakeholder trust.
Access to Finance:
Securing financial resources is crucial for developing and scaling innovations.
Internationalization:
Promoting cross-border collaborations enhances best practice exchange and joint initiatives.
Supportive Regulatory and Standardisation Framework:
Harmonising regulations creates a stable environment for innovation.
By addressing these areas and promoting EIP-AGRI OGs' work, FOREST4EU can sustain and expand its innovations, addressing the diverse needs of the EU's forestry and agroforestry sectors.
Key Results and Potential Impacts
Widespread Dissemination of Practical Knowledge:
FOREST4EU's documentation of 175 innovations has created a rich repository accessible to diverse stakeholders, promoting cross-border dissemination.
Establishment of Innovation Topic Hubs:
The ITHubs have been pivotal in disseminating knowledge, with a Community of Practice engaging over 250 stakeholders.
Capacity-Building and Active Knowledge Uptake:
The project has equipped practitioners with tailored capacity-building materials, enhancing the application of innovations.
Policy Insights and Recommendations:
Engagement with policymakers has aligned regional practices with EU objectives, facilitating innovation adoption.
Ensuring Further Uptake and Success
To sustain these achievements, continued emphasis on EIP-AGRI OGs as vital assets for local and national innovation is essential. Disseminating their evidence, particularly in regions lacking CAP financing, ensures their innovative potential is recognized and utilized across the EU. Key areas for attention include:
Further Research and Demonstration:
Continued efforts are vital for validating new practices and building stakeholder trust.
Access to Finance:
Securing financial resources is crucial for developing and scaling innovations.
Internationalization:
Promoting cross-border collaborations enhances best practice exchange and joint initiatives.
Supportive Regulatory and Standardisation Framework:
Harmonising regulations creates a stable environment for innovation.
By addressing these areas and promoting EIP-AGRI OGs' work, FOREST4EU can sustain and expand its innovations, addressing the diverse needs of the EU's forestry and agroforestry sectors.