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The Spanish forest technology platform presented the 2008 balance sheet and its strategy for the next biennium

The forestry sector faces the crisis with innovation and sectoral development projects

Drafting Interempresas23/12/2008

December 23, 2008

The Forestry Spanish technological platform, instrument for innovation and sector development promoted by the European Commission, which involved more than 60 associations, confederations, technological institutes, universities, professional associations, companies and Spanish administrations presented the balance of its activities in 2008 and plans of action for the coming years. Before the current crisis, the platform is for the companies in the sector an exceptional opportunity for innovation and development in cooperation with other companies and leading technological centres in Europe.

The platform promotes and coordinates research and development policies to ensure the increase of the competitiveness of the sector in the framework of sustainable development, through the promotion of a greater number of projects of r & d and transfer of results to businesses. The industries that make up the platform (forest based, forest exploitation, wood, furniture, woodworking and construction, pulp, paper, cardboard, packaging, printing and industry of renewable energy based on biomass, among others) invoice in Spain 54.768,8 billion per year and provide direct employment to 439.499 people.

Short and long term projects

The many projects developed within the framework of the Strategic Research Agenda of the platform over the past year include research on the perception of the social value of forests (ETSIA-UPV) or automatic detection of forest fires by applying optical spectrometry (Radiotrans); projects live with wood, built with wood and transporting wood (Confemadera); the cogeneration of small power plants fueled with biomass (Guascor bioenergy) and the use of biomass in Castilla y León (UPM); the Prolipapel program for the optimization of the recycling of paper, etc.

The strategic priorities for the next two years include the development of innovative products and intelligent industrial processes between the strategic priorities proposed for 2009-2010 include the development of innovative products (functional packaging, biorefinery of the wood, green chemicals)(, a new generation of compounds...) and smart industrial processes (reduction of energy consumption, improved performance of raw materials, technologies for the momentum of the calorific and energy performance...), to strengthen the availability and use of forest biomass for products and energy, sustainable forest management (forest adaptation to climate change...), etc.

Projects between different forest technology platforms from all over Europe are multiplying in recent years.

Advance of the knowledge society and innovation

The technological platforms are powered by the European Commission to promote the knowledge society and innovation. It aims to address the strategic problems of each sector and build a future of sustainable growth, based on innovation and technology development for Europe.

They are currently in operation 35 European sectoral platforms, and more than 40 Spanish sectoral platforms, led by the industry, bringing together all stakeholders or interested parties. Its mission is to define the vision for the future of the sector, establish the Strategic Research Agenda, promoting programmes and projects of research and possible consortia and identify lines of funding, to disseminate the results of the research

European forest owners and forest industries launched in 2004 the forestry technological platform and of derivatives industries (TFP), mobilizing stakeholders, key in a sector which is characterized by a long value chain from the tree to the consumer. The portfolio is currently one of the most visible and active.

The platform developed a joint European vision and a strategic research Agenda, in a process involving more than 700 organizations and more than 1000 experts, and established a network of nodes in 25 European countries.

Spanish forestry technological platform

Within the framework of Constitution of technology platforms, in March 2005, became the technological forestry Spanish platform, which already has more than sixty members, which include associations, confederations, technological institutes, universities, professional associations, companies and administrations. His works have focused on the dissemination of the initiative through a website, newsletters, events... and in the drafting of the Spanish version of the Research Agenda. An Agenda which acts as the forest engine in key aspects such as the appropriate balance of the functions of the forest, the increase in the availability of wood, the leadership in the production of renewable energy, the largest generation of added valuethe innovative solutions for the replacement of non-renewable materials, the development of green chemical products or the exploration of emerging technologies.