The Sumforest Strategic Action Plan

Transcription

1 WP4 Deliverable 4.3 The Sumforest Strategic Action Plan Mipaaf-DISR IV Annamaria Marzetti & Elena Capolino May

2 Contents 1. Introduction 1.1. The general context 1.2. The ERA-NET Sumforest 2. Methodological approach 2.1. Mapping of the EU research systems - WP Mapping of policy needs - WP International cooperation mapping - WP SWOT Analysis on strategic activities - WP Strategic research & Innovation areas 4. Implementation of strategic activities 4.1. Joint calls for research proposals 4.2. Networking- Sharing and transfer of knowledge 4.3. Capacity building- mobility of researchers 5. Work plan for the future medium-long term perspectives Contributions The Sumforest strategic Action Plan is a deliverable of WP 4 Strategic activities and is based on the outcomes of WP2 Mapping research programmes and capacities, WP3 Mapping strategies, policies and policy needs, WP4.1 SWOT Analysis results of the 4.1 Workshop on strategic activities; WP 5.2. Analysis of Capacity building initiatives in EU on the forestry sectors, WP 6.1 and 6.2 Reports on International Cooperation. 2

3 a) Introduction 1.1 The general context The new EU Forest Strategy 1, adopted by the Council in May 2014, has followed a new approach, going out of the forest to address different aspects of the value chain, i.e. the way forest resources are used to generate goods and services, which strongly influence the forest management. The Strategy highlights that forests are not only important for rural development, but also for the environment, especially for biodiversity, for forest-based industries, bio-energy and in the mitigation/adaptation to climate change. The strategy aims to put forests and the forest sector at the heart of the path towards a green economy and to value the benefits that forests can sustainably deliver, while ensuring their protection. Strong commitments and political support, from all parties involved, are needed for this. The revision of the EU strategy is foreseen in Stressing the need of a holistic approach, the EU Forest Strategy also emphasizes the impacts of other policies on forests as well as developments taking place beyond forest boundaries, which should be taken into account. Recently, the Manifesto on the Bioeconomy 2 preparatory to a revision of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy has highlighted the need to analyse the contribution and connect all potential sources of biomass, forestry sector included, to build up a Bioeconomy roadmap for Europe. Furthermore, the European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) has started a focus group on Sustainable mobilisation of forest biomass including different stakeholders from 14 countries 3 and has launched a new one on agri-forestry. In addition, the new forest strategy underlines that forest-linked EU policies should fully be taken into account in national forest policies. Finally, it calls for a Forest Information System to be set up and for Europe-wide harmonised information on forests to be collected. Moving from the first strategy on forest of 1998 to the new one (May 2014), research and innovation have always been considered key priority instruments to support the implementation of the strategy and provide basis for policy decisions. In particular starting from the 6 th Framework Program, research coordination actions (ERA-NET scheme) on the European forest system directly involving member states and associated countries were established focused on different objectives and approaches: WoodWisdom-Net 1-2-Plus on wood materials and their exploitation chains ( , , ) FORESTERRA-Enhancing Forest Research in the Mediterranean through improved coordination and integration ( ) Sumforest-Sustainable Forest Management and Multifunctional Forestry: Implementation of Sustainable and Multifunctional Forestry through enhanced Research Coordination for Policy ( ). 1 COM (2013) 659 final, : A new EU Forest Strategy: for forests and the forest-based sector 2 Utrecht 3th Bioeconomy Conference on April 2016:

4 1.2 The ERA-NET Sumforest The important climatic, environmental, socio-economic and land-use changes taking place at global, regional and local levels, in the last years pose new challenges for meeting the multifunctional demands on European forest resources, and for their sustainable management. In the European Union the formulation of forest policies is in the competence of the Member States and although there is not a common forest policy yet, a high number of European policies and directives affect the European forests and the forest based sector. Thus the current forest policy environment is fragmented, complex and sometimes contradictory. Furthermore, European forests consist of a wide diversity of forest ecosystems which provide different goods and services that are affected differently by climate and land-use changes. Therefore, a proper understanding of such regional differences is needed for the creation of mutual understanding on sustainable forest management and multifunctional forestry, providing a solid basis for policy decisions. In this complex context, research-based information and knowledge should be the basis for developing adaptive management tools and models, new innovation frameworks and coherent policies to ensure implementation of a sustainable forest management and thus the multifunctional role of European forests. However, European forest research is (with only a few exceptions) still fragmented and enhanced cooperation and coordination of research activities carried out at regional, national and transnational levels is urgently needed. Thus, the ERA-NET Sumforest on The Sustainable Forest Management and Multifunctional Forestry: Implementation of Sustainable and Multifunctional Forestry through enhanced Research Coordination for Policy started in January Its ambitions are to build new cooperation arrangements with European and neighbourhood regions to reduce fragmentation and maximise the impact of research activities on sustainable forest management and multifunctional forestry providing a scientific basis for policy decisions in the framework of the Europe 2020 Strategy, and for the new European Forestry Strategy. Figure 1. European forestry scenario The Sumforest network brings together 23 key actors from 15 European member states, 3 associated states and 2 international institutions. The aim of the network is to play a crucial role in harmonising existing and future research programmes and supporting policy decisions relevant to the topic of sustainable forest management and multifunctional forestry. 4

5 Observers from The Netherlands, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Switzerland, Germany and Russia, increase the influence and impact of the network. More recently other 3 countries joint the consortium as observers (Tunisia, Croatia and Belarus). One country (Canada) is in the pipeline to join as an observer. Additionally, SUMFOREST has established fluent communication with NETWATCH as well as an innovative scientific cooperation with existing ERA-NETs (e.g. WWN+, FORESTERRA, ERA-CAPS, CIRCLE II, Biodiversa and the KBBE PLATFORM), the JPI FACCE and large FP 7 research projects (e.g. Trees4Future) as well as relevant COST Actions (e.g. FP1103 FRAXBACK and FP1207 ORCHESTRA), Forest Owner Associations (e.g. CEPF and EUSTAFOR) and Industry (e.g. FTP). Moreover, IUFRO participates in the Stakeholder Advisory Group through its existing network. Strategic activities of Sumforest are: Fig. 2 Role of Sumforest in forestry research coordination mapping and characterisation of existing forest research capacities and major on-going research programmes, forest-related policy framework, identification of information needs from and for forest policy makers, identification of future forest policy and policy maker knowledge gaps (specificity of Sumforest); development of a strategic action plan for research on EU forestry and identification of topics for joint activities; implementation of Joint research activities and joint calls and a long lasting cooperation; International Cooperation with countries outside EU; dissemination of knowledge and excellence. 5

6 Figure 3. Sumforest work packages and their interdependencies One important pillar of SUMFOREST has been the development of comprehensive methods for mapping forest research capacities, transnational cooperation, policy strategies and needs. Complementary to that activity and with the aim to integrate different approaches and experiences SUMFOREST has dedicated a specific work package also to international cooperation, in order to develop relationships and joint activities with Russia and Eastern Partnership countries from one side and with the Mediterranean region countries on the other side. The latter have already been organized in a research coordination network, the FORESTERRA ERA-NET ( ) specifically focused on the Mediterranean forestry, with which Sumforest has set up a very close cooperation. A mutual understanding of such regional differences sharing knowledge and coordinating research efforts can contribute to develop adaptive management tools and models, new innovation frameworks and coherent interventions suitable to support the sustainable management (SFM) and the multifuntionality of the European forest. 2. Methodological approach The inspiring principles of the activities carried out in Sumforest are the participatory approach and the inclusiveness. They have been applied both in i) the mapping of forestry research systems in EU and neighborhood countries, ii) the mapping of policies at EU, national and regional level and iii) the identification of strategic areas and topics on which joint activities can be designed. Experienced scientists in different disciplines related to the complexity of the sustainable forest management, policy makers and representatives of other stakeholders at EU (and beyond) and national level have been involved in the process and the experience of previous coordinated actions in the forestry sector acknowledged Mapping of the EU research systems WP2 An up-to-date mapping of major on-going research programs, research activities, research groups, mobility programs and capacities in EU and partner countries, relevant to sustainable forest 6

7 management and multifunctional use of forest resources has formed the basis for the analysis of strengths and weaknesses, as well as needs, suitability and potential for strategic transnational actions. The mapping has been carried out in four steps including: earlier mapping of European research capacities and research areas done by different institutions and initiatives between 2005 and 2014 (EFI-NFRI, FORESTERRA ERA-NET, InnovaWood, WoodWisdom-Net, INRA, Finland national study, COST ). A survey 4 for mapping infrastructure and capacities for transnational collaboration as well as future areas in research for sustainable and multifunctional forestry. The survey was based on the FORESTERRA template and the use of the Global Forest Decimal Classification (GFDC) and collected information on research areas and infrastructures from 94 institutions in 17 countries. Despite some difficulties in obtaining a number of replies representative of the state of art in some countries, a European great capacity in national research institutions focusing on forest management and also in environmental and biological factors affecting forests emerged. Most of the institutions reported the availability of labs and analysis equipment (90%) and a significant amount had long-term field trials, demonstration sites, processing facilities and monitoring stations, available for sharing. About 40% of the research organizations are part of a major ongoing mobility program. According to GFDC four research areas were identified by most research organizations as the most promising and common future research topics for collaboration are in forest management, land-use change, climate change, forest protection and monitoring/surveying. Further information was gathered from survey activities carried out in the frame of the International cooperation work package (WP 6) in Russia and Eastern partnership countries thorough inventory of research capacities and research needs. The survey provides a basis for a workshop gathering about 40 participants from research institutions, stakeholders and Sumforest partners sharing views and identifying common priorities regarding transnational research needs and collaboration opportunities. The workshop was held by the Polish Forest Research Institute (IBL Instytut Badawczy Leśnictwa) nearby Warsaw in May The participants were asked to identify priorities together with strengths, weaknesses and actions needed around two main questions. What is the needs and priorities for transnational research collaboration in terms of capacities and in terms of research areas and topics. As far as the needs and priorities for transnational research collaboration in terms of capacities, building on existing experiences making them more participated and inclusive has been recognized as key starting point. Among the issues identified as important in terms of research capacities were: harmonization of methodology and data within long-term experimental plots and field trials, increased mobility and networking between researchers, policy makers and industry/forest owners. In terms of topics, non-wood values, trade-offs and contribution to Bioeconomy, forestry and climate change followed by planning and decision to improve the Science-Policy-Practice 4 WP2 D2.2 Country reports on major research programmes, mobility programmes, actors and capacities 7

8 interface and wood products trade and use were all identified as prioritized theme clusters and discussed in the final report Mapping of policy s needs- WP3 To improve the understanding of the forest-related policy framework, and to identify emerging knowledge and information gaps by policy-makers that need to be addressed by the scientific community two main approaches have been followed: a cross-sectoral review 6 was made of the European forest related policies, identifying and characterizing EU and main International policies, directives and conventions affecting EU sustainable forest management and multifunctional forestry. Despite the new EU Forest Strategy in place aiming at some improved coordination between Member States, at the European level forest policy is still defined by different policy areas, generating fragmentation, lack of cohesion and coordination and is regulated by measures for the most part voluntary. The key challenge to managing forest in the future lies in finding shared goals taking a more holistic view on forests. A balanced approach that accommodates all interests (including the necessity of trade-offs), needs to be identified, not only in terms of the forest policy, outline and role, but also in common visions for forest utilization and appearance in the future. A Foresight Panel process 7 was developed consisting of two rounds of questionnaires asking experienced members of the scientific community views about emerging issues with high policy relevance related to the forest-based sector. The results were presented and discussed between scientists, policy makers and stakeholders in the Sumforest Foresight Workshop in Brussels in December The scientists identified all together 63 emerging issues, of which 10 were prioritized and ranked. Those ranked the highest by both the scientists and the Workshop s participants included both new issues, as well as so far inadequately addressed old issues. The 10 prioritized issues fell under the general topics of climate change, Bioeconomy, management of risks and uncertainties in forestry, and land-use changes, ecosystem services and trade-offs between different usages of forests. Based on the results of both approaches a summary document identifying the main information needs of policy makers was developed 8. Difficulties of implementation such as different time scales of politicians, scientists and forest ecosystems or the information gap between scientists and policy makers were underlined. Various approaches to work towards a sustainable and multifunctional forestry were introduced, including the back casting process, the bottom-up approach or transition management. Examples on how science could better support national and EU forest policies translating scientific results into clear guidance for implementation were provided. 5 WP2 D2.3 Identifying priorities for transnational research needs and sharing of research capacities 6 WP3 D3.1 European Forest Related Policies A cross-sectoral review 7 WP3 D3.2 Sumforest Foresight Panel and Foresight Workshop Results on Emerging Issues in European Forest-Based Sector and Research Priorities 8 WP 3 D 3.3 Future forest policy and policy maker s knowledge gaps 8

9 2.3. International Cooperation, mapping - WP6 With the aim of including in the Pan European vision and strategy neighborhood countries and developing relationships and joint activities a mapping to characterize the forest research capacities and emerging strategic forest research priorities within Russia and Eastern Partnership countries was carried out (WP 6 D6.1 and D 6.3). The survey on ongoing forest research and available research infrastructures in those countries was based on a harmonized FORESTERRA approach adopted also in WP2, as part of the collaboration established between the two actions. All the organizations that conduct or finance research on forest issues were clustered: academic science, applied research, higher education, business organizations, governmental funds, ministries and agencies. Targeted meetings as well as strategic workshops were held to identify joint research priorities and background conditions (e.g. alignment of financial instruments) for joint research activities on sustainable forest management. Among the priorities traditional topics such as sylviculture and forest monitoring and inventory as well as more recently important ones including Bioeconomy and bioenergy have been identified. Also the results of the mapping of the research capacity and strategic research areas in the Mediterranean region obtained by FORESTERRA have been integrated in the process SWOT Analysis on strategic activities - WP4.1 To develop a joint vision and a strategic action plan as the basis for implementing joint strategic activities and transnational research projects a SWOT analysis based on the outcomes of WP2, WP3 and other sources was carried out and a workshop on strategic activities was held on November 2015 in Paris. It has provided the basis for the identification of joint strategic activities and the definition of a priority list of research topics for the call foreseen in 2016 as first joint activity of the Sumforest consortium. The SWOT analysis aimed at determining the strengths and weaknesses of Forest research in Europe and the opportunities and threats of the external background. Forest research in Europe is viewed through its aptitude to address main forest challenges (defined from the Sumforest WP2, WP3 and H2020 societal challenges) like: Changes, risks and uncertainties Multiple and interacting ecosystem services Bio-based industries and markets Cross-cutting issues Based on the results of the SWOT analysis on Forest research in Europe, two work sessions were organized during the workshop. During the first work session, participants, including representatives of Canada, Russia and some Eastern countries, were asked to elaborate strategies crossing either strengths and opportunities (reinforcing strategies), or strengths and threats (reorientation strategies), or weaknesses and opportunities (defensive strategies), or weaknesses and threats (survival strategies), and to prioritize them. The second work session aimed at defining a priority list of research topics based on the prioritized strategies elaborated during the first work session. As for the strategies, one or more research topics were defined for the four challenges 9. 9 WP4 D 4.1 Report from the Workshop on strategic activities 9

10 Despite the disparities in the approaches developed by the groups to elaborate strategies, similarities emerged. Indeed, the strategies focused on similar points, such as the necessity of trans-disciplinary research frameworks when approaching ecological and socio-economic aspects of forest or the necessity to take into account the regional scale when developing a better science/policy/practice interface, etc. Some scientific fields should be deepened such as the economic valuation of forest ecosystem services; research should be developed on the interactions and trade-offs between ecosystem services, whereas studying ecosystem services separately. Even if fundamental research is still needed in some area (e. g. on forest ecosystems or carbon cycle), the importance to develop applied research, RDI (research, development and innovation), research on bio-based products, and to connect research with society has been stressed. As a lot of research results, knowledge, databases and infrastructures already exist, focus on the results synthesis, databases compilation, and infrastructures sharing and on translating knowledge in a concrete language to stakeholders, practitioners, citizens, and politics is needed to increase policy consistency and public awareness. Based on the prioritized strategies, each discussion group has defined research topics for each of the challenges, concerning either collaborative projects or networking actions. Despite the different challenges and strategies to approach them, the research topics generally cover the same scientific issues reflecting the fact that forest actors share a joint vision of the priorities for forest research at European scale. 3. Strategic research & Innovation areas In the area of sustainable forest management and multifunctional forestry, Sumforest aims at coordinating European, national, and regional research programmes and priorities, connecting research institutions and centers of excellence, creating joint research facilities and pan-european networks of large scale research infrastructure to develop a critical mass and a better use of limited resources, strengthening science policy practice interaction, fostering new knowledge generation and innovation, promoting the internationalization of the European forest research. The approaches adopted in mapping the EU research system and the policy framework conditions supporting the management of the forestry sector have allowed to identify some shared strategic research and innovation areas, topics and tools based on which to develop joint activities in the frame of the Sumforest consortium and enlarged partnerships. The European great research capacity developed in the past on forest management and on environmental and biological factors affecting forests needs to be reoriented to face new challenges related to climate change and emerging economy and social demand of new products and services. Advancing science and innovation in key area relevant for developing new forest management models and ensuring the marketing of existing and new goods and services will play an important role in creating a more structured knowledge based Bioeconomy in Europe. In addition, the integration of research from different scientific area and disciplines is a key factor to support decision makers in the development of new policy frameworks, economic instruments and new adaptive management strategies under a changing environment. The research and coordination activities should be addressed at strengthening a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach to the sustainable management of the forestry sector and at translating available and new knowledge into practice and policies in a more efficient way. Furthermore, to 10

11 maximize their impact the activities in the different areas should include approaches at local, regional and wider level looking at diversities as opportunities to reinforce sustainability and multifunctionality. Three main strategic research areas have been identified based on the main challenges the forestry sector has to face at EU and international level: a) Role of the European Forests in the Implementation of the Bioeconomy strategy. The Bioeconomy refers to an economy that relies on renewable natural resources to produce food, energy, products and services. Forest, agriculture or aquaculture-based biomass production may be able to offer sustainable solutions through a wide range of products and services to substitute fossil and mineral-based alternatives. Therefore, a lot of raw materials from renewable resources need to be mobilized and this has to be done in a sustainable way. Sustainable intensification and diversification of wood production from different species taking into account its impact on other forest ecosystem services, technological innovation in wood processing, innovative businessorganizational-infrastructural models (Silicon Valley approach!) are key factors to valorize the contribution of forestry to the development of the Bioeconomy. Furthermore, objective and holistic comparative analyses of the sustainability credentials of renewable vs. non-renewable raw material-based value chains need to be better described or highlighted when it comes to inform and support public policies, and the communication of the benefits in the marketplace. Comparison-benchmarking of value-chains between fossil-based and bio-based products should include a sustainable primary (raw material) production based business concept (including restoration), life cycle assessment, wood technology innovation impact, circular economy and cascade principles. To valorize the contribution of the forest sector to the transition towards a low emission sustainable Bioeconomy development, knowledge needs to be improved on the potential of different species as raw material for integrated wood-based productions and the development and harmonization of accounting methods for CO2 storage in the wood-based products must be supported. The EU forest-based industry has different characteristics in term of market channels, types of products and supply of raw materials. Regulations in different sectors (trade, industry, environment, wastes) can significantly affect short-and long-term dynamics of raw materials supply, costs and competitiveness of forest owners and forest enterprises, internal sustainability and competitiveness of the EU forest based industry in providing new products. The evaluation of the impact of regulations on the sector become crucial to orient sustainable and policy coherent interventions, particularly at the level of primary production. Providing knowledge of each individual step of the production chain is fundamental for the analysis and quantification of the transition and adaptation costs for forest farms, harvesting enterprises and processing industries and for the support to the regional/national/eu interventions policies. Data availability and statistics homogenization, methodologies for scenario analysis, outlooks and case studies shall be integrated in the research projects and capacity building joint initiatives to gain an estimation of the overall contribution of the European forestry to the Bioeconomy development. 11

12 Based on initiatives already in place at European level (EU and ERA-NET s collaborative research projects, SCAR SWGs, Bioeconomy strategy revision, etc.) in the first joint call that Sumforest has launched in 2016 a specific topic refers to this strategic area. Projects are expected to provide objective analysis between the sustainability performance of biomass-based vs. fossil/mineral-based value chains. This would allow both consumers as well as policy makers to make evidence-based choices. The role of carbon in these assessments needs to be fully described and understood, including the respective sequestration in forests and products and substitution effects related to use of wood as well as the contribution to the Bioeconomy and the circular economy. Based on the results of the first call a new joint call with the other ERA-NETs in the forest sector, and cofunded by the EU commission is going to be designed and launch in including additional activities looking at translating knowledge into practice towards thematic workshops - seminars, addressed to different stakeholders, and capacity building initiatives to support mobility of researchers, data sharing, networking of jointly funded projects and results dissemination will lie beyond the Sumforest lifespan. b) Risk resilient forest management: assessment of risks and adaptation to climate change The growth rate of the European forests has increased significantly over the last decades with important consequences on the availability of raw materials and for the associated ecosystems services (C sequestration, water supply, etc.). Meanwhile,, the threat of natural, social and economic impacts of climate change and related factors is increasing too. The understanding of the ecological and social determinants of such increases and how can forest management be adapted to support forest resilience at regional, local and stand levels is the challenge research has to face to provide information and practical solutions supporting policy interventions. Enhancing the knowledge base by creating and expanding the critical mass of long term research experiments and data and supporting advanced and integrated research, will reinforce the capacity of addressing (new) risks and uncertainties. It will also provide the scientific and technical expertise to develop efficient forest management models and cross-cutting policy interventions based on the key role of European forests and forestry with respect to other strategic resources and issues (e.g. water, soil, energy, agriculture, biodiversity, fires, climate change). Climate-resilient forest management should include collaborative approaches to mitigate environmental, social and economic risks and reduce knowledge gaps regarding risk. Forest science should adopt and adapt the most innovative developments from relevant disciplines (i.e. climatology, biology, genetics, ecology, economics, decision science, information technology) to forecast future impacts and vulnerability of forest ecosystems and their goods and services. Understanding of the climate and environmental changes, downscaling and improving climate models, of the main biotic (including genetic resources preservation-migration) and abiotic forest disturbances, of human demographic, economic, social value and perception trends is required to identify main risks and hotspot areas around Europe. The development of an integrated forest information system (including databases, mapping tools, etc.) to identify the most sensitive and vulnerable types of forests communities is the basis for 12

13 identifying and implementing new restoration-adaptive strategies and management policies to minimize the impact of global changes. Taking into account initiatives already in place at European level (EU and ERA-NET s collaborative research projects, COST actions, Forest Europe) Sumforest has launched in 2016 a joint call for research projects including this research area among the topics. Projects are expected to provide new knowledge and validate risk s analysis methods to come up with new ways to define climate resilient forest management regimes applicable for different regions, forest functions and environments. Complementary networking and capacity building activities will be promoted in based on the projects funded by the joint call in this area and other initiatives already in place. Special attention will be devoted to instruments suitable for integration of available data in a common information system on European forests supporting resilient management strategies. c) Appraisals and trade-off of the European forest ecosystem services. The socio-economic dimension, synergies and trade-off assessment based on a participatory approach The European forest systems face similar challenges regarding their sustainable management and the delivery of crucial goods and services in a context of rapid global changes. Forests offer a multitude of benefits to society. Some of these benefits may be conflicting, while some others can be synergetic. For example, the intensification of biomass and of non-wood products production can have both negative (e.g. scenic qualities, biodiversity) and positive (e.g. a better accessibility to different services, availability of new products) impacts on some recreational activities which contribute to add value to the forest resources. Furthermore, forest can play an important role in the regulation of water resources management and assessing the effects of forestry on the water cycle while understanding the trade-offs with other ecosystem services can provide added value information not only for a sustainable overall management of water and soil resources and land use but also for a better governance of demographic changes and well-being of populations (role of multi-functionality of forest in the context of urban development, agricultural and landscape management). In order to make sound policy decisions, the values of different ecosystem services need to be assessed and the value assessment should ensure that the results are comparable. Products and services diversification as an adaptation strategy to environmental and socio-economic changes should be analyzed, externalities related to different production models and services must be quantified and indicators identified. The structure, relationships and preferences of different stakeholder groups must be taken into account developing approaches to include them in the forest management planning processes, estimation of trade-offs and resolution of potential conflicts amongst different interests. Trade-offs between economic, ecological and social services and products need to be described in a form that allows the decision-makers at all levels to understand the value of the service provided and conceptualize the implications of the various decisions to be made. Better understanding of synergies and trade-offs (driving forces, pressures, state impact and responses) between different ecosystem services will help to develop coherent and well-founded policies and governance models 13

14 and new multipurpose forest and landscape sustainable management strategies, contributing significantly to local and national economies and to rural development. Taking into account initiatives already in place at European level (EU and ERA-NET s collaborative research projects, COST actions) Sumforest has launched in 2016 a joint call for research projects including this research area among the topics. Projects are expected to provide new knowledge and validate existing methods to assess values and trade-offs between various forest ecosystem functions. Based on the results of the joint call networking (e.g. workshops, seminars) and capacity building initiatives to support mobility of researchers and data sharing will be planned in and monitoring of jointly funded projects and results dissemination will be ensured beyond the Sumforest lifespan. 4. Implementation of strategic activities In the work plan of Sumforest the launch of joint activities has already been foreseen as an instrument to promote a real coordination among countries, build up common framework conditions to strengthen the ERA in the forestry sector and step forward towards shared policy interventions for a sustainable management of the European forests and valorization of their multi-functionality. Based on the large consultation process involving the forestry research community and a variety of stakeholders from public and private sectors, policy makers and funders, some joint activities have been confirmed as highly relevant: Joint call for research proposals to support both new knowledge needs in some sectors and consolidate and validate already available findings in new scenarios; Networking activities to share knowledge and skills, disseminate results and translate science into practice; Capacity building activities to promote researcher mobility, create new multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary competences, optimize the use of available research infrastructures Joint calls for research proposals A first joint call for research proposals on Sustainable forests for the society of the future has been designed based on the results of the consultation process and launched in March The call focuses on basic and applied research to inform policy decision makers regarding multifunctional forestry and also addresses research issues spanning the whole value chain from forest management to product and service development. Proposals consortia should be transnational and an added value is expected by innovative forms of cooperation across disciplinary boundaries of forest-related sciences (i.e. biophysical/natural, economic and social scientists). The call is supported by 20 countries, including members of the Sumforest consortium and observers, from Nordic to Mediterranean regions, Russia, Eastern partnership countries and Canada. It has jointly been prepared with representatives from two other ERA-NETs, FORESTERRA and WoodWisdom-Net as a first concrete step forward on sharing experiences, views and strategies and strengthen future collaboration. 14

15 The call topics cover the main research area identified as strategic for the sustainable management of EU forests and the valorization of their multi-functionality: 1. Comparative assessment of the sustainability performance of forest-based, other renewable and non-renewable raw material-based value chains to inform policy decisions. The increasing awareness of the importance of sustainable solutions to mitigate climate change has contributed to a plethora of sustainability- related schemes, self-referential approaches to assess sustainability of the respective value chain and claims in the market place. As there is growing confusion on the credibility of these statements, the research proposals are expected to provide objective analysis of the sustainability performance of biomass-based vs. fossil/mineral-based value chains. This would allow both consumers as well as policy makers to make evidence-based choices. The role of carbon in these assessments needs to be fully described and understood, including the respective sequestration in forests and products and substitution effects related to use of wood as well as the contribution to the Bioeconomy and the circular economy. The research should show how the capacity of forests to provide sustainable raw materials can be increased in order to meet the requirements of the Bioeconomy. 2. Risk resilient forest management - Adapting forest management regimes which incorporate risk assessment related to potential climate change impacts to inform policy decisions. Changing climate will alter the basis of forest management regimes modifying the relationships between the different components of the ecosystem soil, water, flora and fauna and exposing the forests systems to hazardous biotic and abiotic events. Climate change will increase the risks of disturbance in the provision of ecological and social and economic products and services from forests. The research proposals are expected to come up with new ways to define climate resilient forest management regimes applicable for different regions, forest functions and environments. Special attention should be paid to risk analysis methods and strategies to avoid negative consequences of changes in climate or in the socio-economic environment. Different methods to predict the potential impacts of climate change on the ecological and socio-economic services of the forest sector should be applied. 3. Investigation, appraisal and evaluation of trade-offs related to the provision of forest ecosystem services to inform policy decisions. Comprehensive value assessments of forest ecosystem services are not available. As a consequence, the trade-offs between often conflicting demands on the various ecosystem services are not fully understood or available to support policy and other decision making processes. Furthermore, approaches to assess values for ecosystem services differ considerably among different stakeholder groups. The research proposals should include appraisals of existing methods to assess values and tradeoffs between various forest ecosystem functions; the development of decision support methods applicable for assessing various aspects of multifunctional forestry; results of case studies assessing trade-offs between forest ecosystem functions using the method developed in the project. Key common requests regarding all three topics: 15

16 The proposals should identify the relevant policy areas, related to the research proposed and provide an account of how the research will enhance the science-policy-practice interface. Additionally, involvement of stakeholders from different geographic areas will better enable exchange of experience and expertise from varied academic backgrounds. Consortia may also describe their links and working relationships with research communities outside Europe. Applicants are invited to ensure the complementarity of the proposals with existing or on-going research, building on existing knowledge, reviewing methodologies for sustainability assessments and investigating new ones, utilizing existing data sources for comparing data sets and results from case study. The proposals should also contribute to the overall objectives of Sumforest, that is to strengthen the quality of European research, including the mobility of researchers and practitioners, intensify researcher training, involving junior researchers. The results of the evaluation and selection process are expected by autumn 2016 and project starting by the end of the year. Future calls will be build up on the experience of the first one evaluating the capacity of the forest research system to provide excellent approaches and insights in the three strategic areas and call topics and eventually which area need to be reinforced in a medium -long term perspective. Looking at future perspectives, the instrument of the call for research projects will be further implemented to strengthen the cooperation among the three coordination actions Sumforest, FORESTERRA and WoodWisdom-Net and key EU stakeholders on forest research and reach a critical mass in the financial commitment of member countries. A joint proposal to the EU Commission to use the ERA-NET Cofund instrument to mobilize the scientific community on the strategic area of Innovative forest-based Bioeconomy has been endorsed in the first edition of the Horizon 2020 WP and is expected to be launched in July The proposal aims to promote increased innovation and competitiveness of the forest-based sector in Europe and support its transformation from a resource-intensive to a knowledge-intensive, productive, resource-efficient and resilient sector. The scope spans all forest-based value chains, from forest vitality and sustainability of forestry production systems to efficiency in supplying forestbased goods (wood and non-wood) and services. As the ERA-NET Cofund scheme allows to complement the main call for research proposal cofunded together with the Commission with additional activities managed by the countries consortium, the possibility to launch calls to support joint activities like projects networking, researchers training and mobility will be included Networking, sharing and transfer of knowledge During the consultation process with a variety of stakeholders, the need for networking occurs in several groups priorities as a strategic activity to be implemented in the frame of Sumforest. Networking activities will be addressed to: 16

17 build research capacities, in terms of both infrastructure networks, besides experiences already in place at EU level ( ), and knowledge sharing - transfer among different disciplines; build stronger communication channels and trust between researchers and stakeholders, addressing companies, local entrepreneurs, authorities and policy makers in different area to improve the translation of knowledge into innovative practices and policies better supporting the sector development; better communicate to the society, as there is more knowledge available than the society is aware of. The sustainability performance of the forest sector (social, ecological and economic) and its contribution to the wellbeing of the society as a whole must be adequately understood. Sumforest will explore ways to promote networks among the main actors of the forestry sector. Based on experiences already in place at EU and international level and the activities already foreseen in the frame of Sumforest, initiatives like thematic workshops, focus groups, participation in public events will be put in place. The aim will be to promote a better integration within the forest research community and stimulate information and knowledge exchange between research groups and policy makers in the frame of the research projects funded by the Sumforest joint calls and other initiative both at European and international level. For example there are more than 20 COST actions addressing forest related topics in the three strategic research area of Sumforest participated by a large number of countries which are also members-observers in the Sumforest consortium. The networking activities will be devoted to integrate common frames such a fragmented scenario. As a result of the cooperation and networking activities between FORESTERRA and Sumforest a joint working group (Joint Think Tank Group) has already been established to identify models for sharing and transferring knowledge and develop further networking initiatives in a medium long term perspective. The Joint Think Tank Group (JTTG), already including North Africa countries, will enlarge the membership towards Russia and the Eastern Partnership Countries and reorient its activities, looking also at the interaction with some EU strategic advisory groups and partnerships (e.g. SCAR, EIP, Bioeconomy panel, Platform 2, JTI BBI.). Among the tasks there will be the alignment of efforts on specific topics in the frame of the three strategic research area, the screening of new opportunities for collaboration and coordination at European level (e.g. JPI, ETP, EIP, PPPs, new ERA- NET cofund scheme under Horizon 2020, Article 185, etc.) on forest related research and preparation of recommendations to relevant policy makers. In case of need, dedicated focus groups will be utilized to target specific networking actions. The implementation of their activity will be eventually included in the additional activities of the foreseen ERA-NET Cofund. Furthermore, a big event (conference, summit) will be organized by the end of 2017 by Sumforest, involving different stakeholders, to identify promising outputs from the Sumforest joint research projects suitable to further development, to discuss how promoting translation of research results into practice and to network with other initiatives already in place both at EU and international level. Inside the event specific initiatives will be dedicated to further strengthen the cooperation with Russia, EaP and North Africa countries and to promote international alignment on priorities included in the Sumforest strategic action plan. Appropriated tools will be made available to support participation of young researchers to the Sumforest conference-summit and its side events as part of their training on forestry research management. 17

18 The dissemination of information on Sumforest activities in the three strategic research area and its outcomes will be addressed through the website, the newsletter and other tools to relevant national/regional programme owners, thematic networks (e.g. EFI, COST, FTP, FAO, IUFRO, etc.) and to other stakeholders (e.g. CEPF, EUSTAFOR, SCAR etc.). The best way how to link to other forest platforms to support sharing of knowledge and develop interactions will also be investigated during the Sumforest lifespan. Among target groups also communication packages addressing a more general public and practitioners will be included Capacity building-mobility of researchers As a result of the consultation with the forest research community long-term experiment networks, sharing field trials and data harmonization through development of common methodologies, standards and protocols to access experimental sites and databases are perceived as crucial in different disciplines to create a critical mass as well as for monitoring and assessing ecosystem and socio-economic functions affecting sustainability in forest management. One major challenge is the translation of national databases to a common language in order to provide open and shared databases. This would need expertise and new skills in setting standards for harmonization of data and building a common reference for future experiments. A common reference would also help in translating national forest biomass inventories already available. Apart from supporting this kind of activities in the research projects that will be financed under the umbrella of Sumforest, how to promote alliances with relevant actors in this field like the IUFRO Global forest information service, NOLTFOX and National Forest Inventories will be investigated, particularly in the area of the assessment of appraisal and trade of eco systems services and climate change resilience of forests. In the frame of Sumforest, activities to promote the capacity building of the research system in the field of the sustainable and multifunctional forestry have already been foreseen such as the identification of Pan-European capacities in research management and training (pre-doc researchers), the mapping of national financing instruments for mobility schemes of experienced researchers, looking for opportunities to increase joint mobility within research consortia by suggesting opportunities for mutual opening. Guidelines 10 have been developed on instruments available at EU level to implement researcher mobility, infrastructure alignment opportunities and best practice advices on how to share data bases and IT facilities, developing joint research units, taking into account the experience of other EU and international initiatives. A plan to disseminate the guidelines and make them available as support to implement capacity building activities will be set up during summer Mobility and researcher s training programmes have been identified as particularly relevant capacity building actions for transnational collaboration. Access and movement of human resources and know-how not only between research institutions but also between other public and private organizations involved in forest management and policy making should be supported when implementing these kind of activities. 10 Sumforest Del. 5.3 Guidelines on mobility programmes at EU level in the forestry sector 18