The role and contribution of the forest-based sector in Europe
Characteristics of the forest-based sector
The European forest-based sector is extremely multifunctional providing a range of materials and products, energy, recreational activities and other services arising from the forests. It provides economic, environmental and societal benefits all based on a renewable resource. Forest-based products are recyclable and reusable for new products and energy; they are biodegradable and able to substitute for products and energy from non-renewable sources. Few sectors have as many multidisciplinary competences as the forest-based sector.
Key challenges facing today’s forest-based sector:
- Helping society to mitigate climate change.
- Securing the availability of renewable raw materials, while supporting the varied uses of forests and safeguarding biodiversity, through sustainable forest management.
- Obtaining an economic and environmental balance in using forest biomass for products and energy, as well as substantially improving the industry’s energy-efficiency.
- Providing products and services that respond to changes in societal needs.
- Developing and designing products that can be recycled, reused and finally converted to bio-energy.
- Achieving a significant decrease in capital intensity and increased production flexibility through process innovations.
- Meeting the growing impact of large retailers.
- Responding to new competition from other regions.
- Attracting young talent to the sector.
Towards a sustainable Europe - key opportunities for today’s forest-based sector:
- Balancing forests as a resource for renewable raw material with other important functions such as offering recreation and safeguarding biodiversity.
- Increasing the availability of renewable resources, e.g. through afforestation, and extending their use in new and existing applications thus securing forest-based materials as the material of choice.
- Increasing the share of high value-added products offered to consumers.
- Substituting non-renewable materials through innovative solutions from forest-based materials.
- Developing new industrial activities based on “green chemicals” from wood.
- Becoming a major producer of “green electricity”, biofuels and other bio-energy products.
- Taking advantage in process and product developments of alliances with other sectors and of exploiting emerging technologies.
The Technology platform as a governance mechanism: key benefits of the technology platform:
- Engages all key stakeholders and provides a forum for public-private dialogue and partnership.
- Facilitates targeted investments in research and development.
- Mobilises and focuses existing research and development capabilities, thereby fostering a more efficient approach to innovation.
- Stimulates coordination of European and national research agendas.
- Supports the ongoing development of a relevant knowledge base for the sector.
- Contributes to the overall growth of the EU economy.