National Support Groups

Speeding up forest-based sector innovation at the national level

National Support Groups (NSGs) are vital focal points for FTP at the national level. Typically, they are made up of various forest-based sector stakeholder groups in a specific country and bring together researchers and industry representatives, as well as national financial and governmental bodies.

The role of the NSGs is to mobilize national stakeholders in identifying common RTDI priorities and formulating a national research and innovation agenda for their country. They elaborate and express their country’s stance on draft project documents, and their members also carry out active advocacy work with high-level authorities at national level.

The NSGs also implement FTP’s Vision 2030 and the FTP Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for 2020 in their countries. Currently, FTP relies on the activities of NSGs in 22 EU Member States, and in Norway, Switzerland and Russia. Each NSG is represented in the FTP Advisory Committee by its Chairperson.