Recommendations for the Finnish forest-based bioeconomy R&D

Case - Published 12.2.2016

The Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) of the Forest-based Sector Technology Platform (FTP) provides an European-level approach to R&D bottlenecks within the forest-based sector. It is also the basis for R&D efforts in Finland, however, as a pan-European agenda it naturally also contains issues not relevant in the Finnish context. The FTP SRA is also already a few years old.

With these two premises in mind the Finnish National Support Group to the FTP decided to make an internal exercise to highlight topical R&D needs from a Finnish perspective and these are the recommendations identified. Bioeconomy and Cleantech are in the heart of the Finnish government’s spearhead programmes. At the same time Finland faces significant challenges regarding its economic performance as country, which also impacts the Finnish public R&D funding capabilities negatively. The scarce capabilities must be focused efficiently.

Meanwhile, the Finnish forest industry is in the midst of a significant industrial transformation, which can be seen, for instance, as clear focusing by companies and, but also as development of new products. This undertaking also needs support by focused R&D.

All this in mind, the task was to identify important research themes that would create new business opportunities, jobs and well-being in general. The themes identified should also reinforce the competitiveness of current players, identify new value-added products and to affect positively to export opportunities.

Forest bioeconomy NRA, Recommendations for the Finnish forest-based bioeconomy R&D

By the Finnish National Support Group to the Forest-based Sector Technology Platform

1. The forest-based sector in a biobased society
2. Responsible management of forest resources
3. Creating industrial leadership
4. Fulfilling consumer needs

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Published Feb 12, 2016