1. News

• FTP established as a limited company
• FTP-led proposal for collaborative support action in biorefineries positively evaluated
• FTP hosts innovation seminar at the awarding of the Schweighofer Prize 2009
• Conference FTP C2009 'From Research to Business' in Stockholm - Latest news
• EU's Emissions Trading Directive offers opportunities to forest-based sector

2. Inside the FTP

• Innovation Task Force calls for examples of forest-based sector innovation
• Report from the FTP Advisory Committee meeting
• FTP Communication Group to focus on good innovation and research examples

3. Research and development

• EU-project Surfuncell develops new biomass-based materials
• ERA-NET Bioenergy opens first European joint call on Clean Biomass Combustion
• Mediterranean Forest Research Agenda under development

4. Meetings and events

• FTP organises FP7 Joint Partnering Event
• FTP arranges workshop on FP7 issues for NSG co-ordinators
• International event 'Research connection 2009'
• Euroscience Open Forum 2010 calls for proposals
• International workshop on forest policy and economics in support of good governance

5. Other

• Forest Day 2 puts spotlight on forest adaptation
• European pulp and paper industry issues vision 2020
• EFI launches Regional Office in the Atlantic region

FTP established as limited company

The Forest-Based Sector Technology Platform (FTP) is now a legal entity. At the end of January, the three 'founding fathers' of the platform, CEPI, CEPF and CEI-Bois, established the FTP as a 'Société privée à responsabilité limitée' (sprl, with company nr. 0809392942), i.e. a limited company, under Belgian law. Being a legal entity of its own provides many benefits to the platform, for example in terms of efficiency of management and finances.

FTP-led proposal for collaborative support action in biorefineries positively evaluated

During the final months of 2008, FTP Management was preoccupied with the preparation of the so-called Star-COLIBRI proposal under a 7th Framework Programme (FP7) call for collaborative support actions (CSA). If approved, the FTP-co-ordinated proposal will be implemented jointly with four other Technology Platforms, namely Plants for the Future, SusChem, Manufuture and Biofuels. The project aims to coordinate research and development activities within the theme of biorefineries and to bring together the largest/most innovative biorefinery research and development projects in order to cluster these with smaller projects. The proposal involves a broad range of stakeholders, including industries, national funding agencies and the national support groups of the different Platforms.

FTP hosts innovation seminar at the awarding of the Schweighofer Prize 2009

The FTP will organise a seminar dealing with specific questions concerning innovation in the European forest-based sector. The event is arranged in cooperation with Schweighofer Prize 2009 and COST Action E51 'Integrating Innovation and Development Policies for the Forest Sector'. Dates for this FTP Innovation Seminar will be June 18-19, 2009. Venue is the Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof in Vienna, Austria. Participants will hear a host of speakers from the FTP and the entire forest-based sector shine their light on what makes innovation work. Moreover, winners of the Schweighofer Prize 2009, a prestigious European prize for innovation in forestry, wood technology and wood production, will be represented in a round table discussion. More information about this event, which will be by invitation only, can be found here.

Conference FTP C2009 'From Research to Business' in Stockholm - Latest news

Preparations for this year's main FTP event, the FTP Conference to be held in Stockholm during November 9-11, are well underway. The conference, entitled 'From Research to Business', will focus on good examples of how research findings have been implemented in forest-based sector business. The conference will only comprise plenary sessions, with as themes for its four main sessions: 'innovative products', 'manufacturing processes', 'availability of forest biomass', and 'the sector in a societal perspective'.

The conference will commence with an informal get-together on Sunday November 8, followed by a morning of satellite sessions/meetings on Monday November 9. The opening session will start at 13 hrs, with a speech by the Swedish Minister for Forestry. In the final session on Tuesday, focus will be on 'FTP messages', as well as the achievements so far of the WoodWisdom-Net programme. On Wednesday November 11, four alternative, optional excursions are to be arranged to different parts of Sweden, focusing on respectively forestry, wood products, pulp and paper, and specialities (biorefinery).

At the Stockholm event, FTP Management will for the first time award a 'FTP Co-operation Prize' for best practices in collaboration between research and industry. A call for nominations, with detailed selection criteria, is scheduled for April 2009. An independent expert group will select projects that mark excellent co-operation between the scientific world and industries, in terms of having a positive impact on the competiveness of the sector. The winning team / consortia will be awarded at the end of the conference.

A conference website will soon go online, while registration is expected to start in March. For the time being, keep yourself informed through the FTP website.

EU's Emissions Trading Directive offers opportunities to forest-based sector

A review of the European Union's Emissions Trading Directive is now close to finalisation. This review by the European Parliament provides suggestions for improving and extending the EU's greenhouse gas emission allowance trading system. It lists various statements and items of interest to the European forest-based sector. Most relevant is article 10.3, which states that it shall be possible for the Member States to determine the use of revenues generated from the auctioning of emission trading allowances. At least 50% of the revenues should be used for activities such as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to the impacts of climate change and the funding of research and development, as well as demonstration projects for reducing emissions and for adaptation. Here, the participation in initiatives such as the European Technology Platforms is specifically stressed.

Other activities mentioned include, among other, the development of renewable energies, measures to avoid deforestation and increase afforestation and reforestation in developing countries, and forestry sequestration in the EU. Also on the activity list is the financing of research and development in energy efficiency and clean technologies in the sectors covered by the scope of the directive. The full text of the review is available here.

INSIDE THE FTP

Innovation Task Force calls for examples of forest-based sector innovation

The FTP's Innovation Task Force (ITF) held a meeting in Zagreb, Croatia, on January 13. The ITF is preparing a report on innovation in the forest-based sector, both in terms of the present situation, and future visions and ways to get there. Apart from the report, the ITF will develop a PowerPoint presentation of innovation cases, as well as an interactive exercise package. All outputs, to be finalised by June 2009, will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders, including industry and forest owners as a key target groups, supplemented by the research community, policy-makers and funding agencies. The ITF calls upon the FTP network to submit further examples of innovation in the forest-based sector. Information should be sent to Victoria Lerma by early May.

Report from the FTP Advisory Committee meeting

Representatives of nine National Support Groups (NSGs), the European Commission and the FTP Management Group participated in the Advisory Committee (AC) meeting held in Brussels on February 11. The meeting was led by AC vice-chairman Jan Lagerström. Apart from reviewing the present status of the FTP, most of the meeting concentrated on the platform's roadmap for 2009. This year promises to be an important and busy year for the FTP, with a series of events and activities, not in the least the FTP Conference in Stockholm (see elsewhere in this newsletter). The NSGs presented their respective activities. In the United Kingdom, for example, the National Research Agenda will soon be published.

FTP Communication Group to focus on good innovation and research examples

The FTP's Communication Group met in Brussels on February 10. On the agenda were items such as how to achieve effective communication with European Commission Services and the planning of the platform's communication activities in 2009. The Group agreed to concentrate this year on 'communicating good practices', such as specific examples of forest-based sector innovation and of research started up and/or carried out under the FTP umbrella. The plans of the FTP's Innovation Task Force and the FTP Conference in Stockholm would be central to the FTP's communication activities in 2009. You can read more about the work of the Communication Group and find all meeting reports here.

EU-project Surfuncell develops new biomass-based materials

The research and development project 'Surfuncell' has been granted funding on the EU's FP7, under the topic 'Nanostructured polymer-matrix composites'. Full title of the project is: 'Surface functionalisation of cellulose matrices using coatings of functionalized polysaccharides with embedded nano-particles'. Its main objective is the development of new, innovative biomass-based materials based on nanostructured biopolymer surface composites made of polysaccharide-coated cellulose with embedded nano-particles. These new materials will be composed of nano-scaled polysaccharides layers with embedded nano-particles, coating different celluloses matrices. You can read more about this new international project here.

ERA-NET Bioenergy opens first European joint call on Clean Biomass Combustion

On February 9, the ERA-NET Bioenergy, a network of national research and development programmes focusing on bioenergy, launched a European joint call on the topic of clean biomass combustion. Clean biomass combustion is a sustainable way to ensure a renewable energy supply and improved air quality. It is also a prerequisite for a significant extension of biomass use for power and heat production. Joint working on clean biomass combustion between European researchers and industries is a unique opportunity to achieve both more renewable energy consumption as well as cleaner air. Four topics were identified by ERA-NET Bioenergy members as European top priorities for joint research co-operation: 1) Modelling of the combustion process; 2) Advanced characterisation and relevant standardisation of solid biofuels for clean combustion; 3) Technology development for fine particle and NOx reduction; and 4) Health effects of small scale combustion.

The joint call, which will close on April 30, 2009, is available at the ERA-NET Bioenergy web page. Proposals will have to include partners from at least three of the countries involved in the call, which are Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Poland and Sweden. In addition, at least one industry partner must participate in the consortium.

Mediterranean Forest Research Agenda under development

The EFI Mediterranean Regional Office (EFIMED) with its office in Barcelona, Spain, has taken the lead in drafting a Mediterranean Forest Research Agenda (MFRA). The MFRA is to describe the main research priorities for forestry in the region for the period 2009-2020. The FTP has agreed to develop the MFRA as a special part of its Strategic Research Agenda (SRA), with the aim to highlight the main Pan-Mediterranean scientific challenges as well as the scientific priorities, objectives and outcomes to address them.

Forest-based sector stakeholders in the Mediterranean region are invited to participate in the consultation process to elaborate the MFRA. FTP Management has for example asked all of its National Support Groups in the region to lend their assistance by providing their inputs before the end of February 2009. NSGs can discuss the draft agenda within their national network, offer comments and inform about their willingness to be part of the process. All inputs will be compiled by the EFIMED Advisory Group. For more information about this process and a copy of the draft agenda, kindly contact Dr Marc Palahí, Head of the EFIMED.

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

FTP organises FP7 Joint Partnering Event

The FTP, in collaboration with its Austrian National Support Group, EFI, EFPRO and Innovawood, will organise a so-called joint partnering event for development of project proposals under the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme for research and development (FP7). The event will be held in Vienna, Austria, on Friday May 15, 2009 (10.00-16.00 hrs).

The event offers a unique opportunity to obtain actual information on tentative topics of the next calls for proposals under FP7 based upon the official input from FTP. Participants can present ideas for EU-projects and discuss them with potential partners. They will also have the opportunity to give feedback and to support and supplement each other's ideas. Usually such events are starting points for building consortia and core planning teams in order to submit research proposals later. Partners from European Union member states and from associated countries (such as Norway, Israel and Switzerland) can fully participate in FP7 projects. Representatives from enterprises if all sizes, from universities, private or public research institutes or public bodies, who are interested in participating in a research project, are welcome to this partnering event. You can read more about this event and find out how to register here.

FTP arranges workshop on FP7 issues for NSG co-ordinators

Co-ordinators of the FTP's National Support Groups (NSGs) are invited to an FTP workshop on how to develop a high quality input for the coming calls (2011 onwards) within the European Commission's FP7. The Workshop will take place in Vienna, Austria, on May 14, 2009, i.e. the day before the FTP Brokerage event announced above. FTP Management encourages all co-coordinators of FTP NSGs to participate in this workshop for smoothening and improving the elaboration of needed input concerning forest-based sector topics / themes in the coming calls of FP7. Registration for the workshop can be done by e-mail to Martin Greimel, with a copy to Andreas Kleinschmit von Lengefeld no later than April 30, 2009.

International event 'Research connection 2009'

In its efforts to promote the European Research Area, the European Commission will organise an international seminar titled 'Research connection 2009' in Prague on May 7-8, 2009. The event will be used to review the main EU programmes and initiatives regarding research, technological development and innovation. Participants will have the chance to further stimulate their involvement and networking. This is particularly true for initiatives of and with the new EU Member States, which will be a focus of the event. In addition to reviewing the current 7th Framework Programme, the event will also show how to participate in the Structural Funds 2007-2013 and the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme.

Online registration is possible here here. Registered participants (at a fee of 50 euros for both days or 30 euro for a single day) will receive a full information package on site and have a free access to the conference rooms, exhibition and Internet corner. Read more about this important event at the event's website.

Euroscience Open Forum 2010 calls for proposals

The next Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF2010) will take place in Torino, Italy, on July 2-7, 2010, under the slogan 'Passion for Science'. It will be a unique opportunity to meet and to discuss important issues in which science and technology play a central role. The Scientific Programme will be the core of ESOF2010, hosting round tables, workshops, debates and seminars, which will address the most topical issues in scientific research and explore the interactions between researchers, industry, policy, media, and the wider public. The organisers feel that adopting a bottom-up approach is vital for the success of the Scientific Programme. Therefore they launched an open Call for Proposals on the site www.esof2010.org. Everyone is welcome to submit proposals according to our guidelines. The deadline for Scientific Programme proposals is set on June 15, 2009. There is also an opportunity to submit proposals for the event's Career Programme, Science to Business Programme and Science in the City Programme (all due by September 15, 2009).

International workshop on forest policy and economics in support of good governance

Registration to an international workshop on forest policy and economics in support of good governance to be held on April 3-4, 2009, in Dubrovnik, Croatia, is now open. The workshop aims to present recent developments and contributions of forest policy and economics research in support of good governance in forest sector of Europe and to map the linkages between capacity building and good governance. The organisers of the workshop are the European Forest Institute, in the framework of its FOPER-project, and the Forest Research Institute Jastrebarsko, Croatia. For more information and registration, click here.

OTHER

Forest Day 2 puts spotlight on forest adaptation

Forest Day 2 was held on December 6, 2008 in parallel with the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, to discuss key issues that link forests with climate change. International deliberations about forests and climate change have focused primarily on how to reduce emissions from deforestation. However, even under the most optimistic climate scenarios, forest ecosystems and the services provided by them will be impacted by climate change. Organisations such as IUFRO, CIFOR, ICRAF and the World Bank, therefore, put the spotlight on the topic of forest adaptation. A cross-cutting session was organised on 'Adaptation of forests to climate change - Bridging the gap between knowledge and action'. The outcomes of the discussion have been included in the Forest Day Summary which calls for giving equal consideration to adaptation and mitigation.

European pulp and paper industry issues vision 2020

Under the leadership of CEPI, the European pulp and paper industry recently issued its vision for 2020 and beyond, under the title '2020 - Fit for the future'. The vision tries to answer the question what it will take for the industry to thrive when the year 2020 arrives, under headlines such as 'responsibility', 'innovation' and 'opportunity'. The document shows an industry in transition, where focus is shifting from volume to value. It looks at energy issues, recycling, and the optimal use of woody biomass, but also at the continuing importance of paper as a 'personal' means of communication. For more information about the vision, contact CEPI.

EFI launches Regional Office in the Atlantic region

On February 23, the EFI Regional Office EFIATLANTIC will be launched. EFIATLANTIC is the third Regional Office of the European Forest Institute to start its activities. It is based in Bordeaux, France, and it will concentrate its activities in Portugal, Atlantic Spain, Atlantic France, Ireland and United Kingdom. The general theme of EFIATLANTIC is the sustainable management and competitive utilisation of planted forest resources. The launch programme includes presentations on the issues and challenges of the forest sector in the Atlantic region, as well as information on the EFIATLANTIC Regional Office - its organisation, mission and work plans.

FTP-Update is an electronic newsletter published by the Forest-Based Sector Technology Platform. All editions of FTP-Update are available on the FTP website. Contributions to this issue were made by the FTP Management Team, Mikael Ankerfors, Catharina Ottestam, Dieter Pauly and Eveliina Herttua.

Contact the Editor for feedback and if you have information to be included. For subscription information, contact the FTP secretariat.

DISCLAIMER: The FTP does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in news items and/or links to additional information that appear in FTP-Update, nor can it be held accountable for information listed incorrectly.

FTP Management is financially supported by the German Timber Promotion Fund, Verband Deutscher Papirfabriken e.V., the European Forest Institute, as well as the European confederations CEI-Bois, CEPF, CEPI and EUSTAFOR.

Forest-Based Sector Technology Platform sprl, no. d'entreprise 0809392942. 

Vision 2030 of the FTP: The European forest-based sector plays a key role in a sustainable society. It comprises a competitive, knowledge-based industry that fosters the extended use of renewable resources. It strives to ensure its societal contribution in the context of a bio-based, customer-driven and globally competitive European economy.