November 20, 2017

Innovation in the forest-based sector, from idea to practice

Hosted by FTP and the Estonian National Support Group (NSG), the FTP stakeholder seminar, as part of the Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) flagship conference, held in Tallinn on Tuesday October 24, was a great opportunity to meet with Estonian stakeholders and to bring more attention to the forest-based sector, under the Estonian presidency.   Participants from academic institutions, […]

September 13, 2017

European Bioeconomy Stakeholders Panel wrestles with agreement on a European Bioeconomy Manifesto

The Bioeconomy Stakeholders Panel is still struggling with the important milestone of finalizing the European Bioeconomy Stakeholders Manifesto. This document is expected to be officially published on European Bioeconomy Day, set for mid-November.  With 28 “building blocks” of which three are still being debated, the Manifesto aims to express the views of all stakeholder groups […]

What to expect from the next work programme of Horizon 2020

Funding opportunities for research and innovation projects in the forest-based sector will remain a significant part of the next Horizon 2020 work programme (WP), for the period 2018-2020. “There will be a slight shift in particular work programme sections, but our evaluation is that FTP’s coordinated campaign with the NSGs, to increase the visibility of […]

European Bioeconomy Panel reaches consensus on draft Bioeconomy Manifesto

Amendments proposed by FTP helped to untangle the last critical issues in the draft Bioeconomy Manifesto under preparation by the members of the European Bioeconomy Stakeholders Panel during the Panel’s two-day meeting held on 6-7 July 2017. With this break-through, a signing of the Bioeconomy Stakeholders Manifesto is within reach.   “A European Bioeconomy Manifesto […]

Unleashing the full power of research and innovation

FTP seeks to align public funding for research and innovation with proper technological developments to reduce GHG emissions and improve forest management and land use With its unique innovation portfolio and many technological solutions, the forest-based sector can foster the transition to a reliable, sustainable and competitive energy system and contribute to reducing the emission […]

Did you know… that the European Commission has launched a new knowledge tool on the bioeconomy?

The European Commission’s Bioeconomy Knowledge Centre (BKC) launched on 20 July 2017 is the new central knowledge hub for the bioeconomy. It will allow a better support to the Commission services, European national policymakers and stakeholders with science-based evidence in this field.  Conceptualised as a web-based one-stop shop for bioeconomy-related data, the platform will not […]

January 5, 2019

Societal Challenge 5

Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials The specific objective of the Work Programme Societal Challenge 5 (SC5) is to develop a resource-efficient economy that is resilient to climate change, together with a sustainable supply of raw materials, in order to meet the needs of a growing global population within the sustainable limits of […]

Societal Challenge 3

Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy The specific objective of the Work Programme Societal Challenge 3, as described in Horizon 2020, is to make the transition to a reliable, sustainable and competitive energy system, in the context of increasingly-scarce resources, growing energy needs and climate change. Updated on a biannual basis, the Work Programme Societal Challenge […]

September 29, 2017

1.1 The performance of the sector in a perspective of global change

Rationale Raw materials, water, air, biodiversity and terrestrial ecosystems are all under pressure. The growing impacts of climate change, increasing demand for raw materials and energy, and environmental problems, such as land degradation and surface sealing, water shortages and floods, chemical pollution, and biodiversity loss, indicate that the planet is approaching the limits of sustainability. […]

August 1, 2017

Space technologies

The forest-based sector already depends on ‘space technology’ in the form of global positioning systems, remote sensing technologies and geo-information technologies. In particular, optimising large-scale forest management, inventory, harvesting and transport operations relies increasingly upon these technologies. Space technology is also important for tracking the trade in legal and illegal wood, monitoring changes in forest […]