European FOREST Research and Innovation Ecosystem

The EUFORE project supports the preparation for a possible European research and innovation partnership on forests under the Horizon Europe Programme. It aims to develop a sustainable, transnational, co-creative environment to define, implement and evaluate research and innovation (R&I) agendas and roadmaps for the entire forest-based value chains in Europe. The project will assess and outline research needs, and provide a platform for increased R&I cooperation, coordination and joint funding for forestry and the forest-based sector, thus supporting the implementation of the new EU forest strategy. EUFORE outputs include a strategic R&I agenda for forestry and the forest-based sector (SRIA), along with accompanying implementation measures and stakeholder commitments. These will be co-designed with key relevant actors, in a multi-actor approach. The project team will facilitate and strive to implement broad stakeholder engagement via diverse participation mechanisms, all designed to instil a sense of co-ownership of the SRIA preparation process and thus secure support for its implementation.To enable its stakeholders to reach informed decisions, EUFORE will provide them with all the relevant information that is needed, in formats suitable for a wide range of audiences. This will entail: a review of European R&I activity in the sector, funding and governance; information on societal expectations towards the sector; analysis of the policy environment and its R&I implications; and foresight on how the sector might develop, and what the future supply of and demand for its ecosystem services and products may be.