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Innovation in Forestry How to boost innovation in forest sector in EU Regions, Nov 13 th , 2019 Bernhard Wolfslehner
Innovation in Forestry
How to boost innovation in forest sector in EU Regions, Nov 13th, 2019
Bernhard Wolfslehner
14/11/2019 | WWW.EFI.INT
You […] believe to get a grip on climate change by means of
regulations. God bless you! What we need, are inventors in their garages
(Michael Friedman, 2009)
Innovation is more than garages
„… a process by which new products and techniques are introduced into the economic system.“ (Schumpeter 1947)
Note: difference to invention (=not yet brought to practice)
Many types of innovation:
new/improved product/process
new marketing method
new organisational method etc. (OECD 2005)
institutional (Weiss et al. 2011)
social (Ludvig et al. 2018)Frequency of innovations by forest holdings in CEE
countries (Rametsteiner et al. 2005)
Other org.
25%
Other not specified
2%Wood
11% Non-wood
7%
Co-operation
4%
Outsourcing
5%
Internal reorg.
3%
Other techn.
8%
Leasing
4%
Recreation
12%
Environmental
3%
Protection
0%
Machinery
5%
Infrastruct.
1%
Other services
8%
B-2-B
2%
Productinnovations
Service innovationsTechnological innovations
Organisational innovations
(Rametsteiner et al. 2005)
Important innovation processes
14/11/2019 | WWW.EFI.INT
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100
%
co-operation along the forestry-wood chain
use of information technologies
forest owners' co-operation
marketing of wood
wood processing technologies
improvements in transport and logistics
harvesting techniques and facilities
infrastructure development
very important rather important not very important no response
Forest innovation examples
14/11/2019 | WWW.EFI.INT
Photos: Projekt Kernbuche; Weiss; Statforsten; WildGood; BMLFUW; Shropshire; ETH; Cairn o Mohr; Zivojinovic.
Innovation support not systematicBut a lot of anchor points for bottom-up initiatives
Increased attention on wood in a bioeconomy
Renewed interest in non-wood forest products
Opportunities for regional approaches (e.g. marketing, best practices)
For upscaling innovation support needed (e.g. LEADER, clusters, etc.) => “top-down support for bottom-up innovations”
Natural pine resin (ES)
Photos: Associazione Tutela Marroni di Castione; Resinas Naturales S.L.
14/11/2019 | WWW.EFI.INT
Interaction – coordination - cooperation
14/11/2019 | WWW.EFI.INT
of all actors crucial (government+ industry+ research = „triple helix“)
Forest owner cooperations innovation in forest management and
e.g. NWFP, forest pedagogics, recreation, bio-energy production etc…)
Photos: Waldprojekt Eisenstadt; Zivojinovic; Daba Laba; BFW; BaumwipfelwegKopfing; Weiss.
Civil society &social innovation
… in response to societal challenges …
reconfiguring social practices by inclusion of civil society actors to tackle • vulnerable groups (e.g. green care, social farming…)
• rural development (collaboration for territorial marketing…)
• social participation (volunteering, social enterprises ...)
14/11/2019 | WWW.EFI.INT
Photos: BFW, AT; Charcoal Land Initiative, SI; Nature Parks, AT; Bergwaldprojekt, AT; Woodland Skills Centre, UK.
EU Horizon 2020 project SIMRA (Social Innovation in Marginalised Rural Areas; 2016-2020)
lnnovative Business Models• Vertical Integration (B2B) – Producers’ coordination
• Producers & 1st processing in Cork for joint marketing• Co-ops to tackle grey markets (truffle, pinenuts)• 2nd level co-ops in pinenuts for joint marketing
• Horizontal integration• Territorial marketing• Producers’ association for NWFP certification• Joint wood auction
• Digital-based innovations (B2C) – info accessibility, transparency, dispersed users• Online picking permits (APP, Q codes)• E-auctions (hunting permits)• PES donations – virtually meeting the landowner
• Prospective(?) • Community-supported forestry (ownership ↔ use)• Collaborative economy• Wellness treatments• Social entrepreneurs• Crowdfunding 14/11/2019 | WWW.EFI.INT
Some innovation topics
Policy instruments (formal/informal) as(a) barriers / support in timber construction
(b) support of social innovation in forestry
Role of regional/programmes to create opportunitystructures for rural areas (e.g. EU LEADER)
New innovation processes incl. across sectors
Forest services (e.g. „Green Care Forest“in AT and Italy)
Role of forest ownership structure in innovation
Usage of long-lasting wood products and future trends for enhanced wood in combating climate change
14/11/2019 | WWW.EFI.INT
Thank you!Bernhard Wolfslehner
Forest Policy Research Network, c/o
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences,
Vienna (BOKU)
Follow us on Twitter: @EFIForestPolicy
