LignoSilva: for Innovating the Forest-based Bioeconomy

LignoSilva, a one-year project funded by the EU Horizon 2020, kicked off in Slovakia in June with high ambitions. The project aims to create an independent Centre of Excellence for the forest-based industries of European significance in the field of forestry, forest products and the bio-economy. The centre will be located in Slovakia but its field of action is aimed to be at both regional and European level.

LignoSilva aims to create long-term synergies within forestry, forest products and bio-economy through cooperation with leading EU-based research organisations and networks. While doing so, it will speed up the role of Eastern Europe in the development of the Green Economy and base growth of its forest-based industries on science and innovation. Furthermore, the project will offer R&D and innovation services to private and public organisations, SMEs as well as large industrial partners.

Development and innovation activities that the Centre of Excellence aims to develop include multi-purpose management of forests; enhanced biomass production; secured wood supply, forest operations and logistics; cascade use, reuse and recycling systems of wood and energy from wood.

The initial one-year project will produce a business plan for the Centre of Excellence, on which basis next steps in the development of the Centre can be taken. The Project coordinator is the National Forest Centre, Slovakia, and the partners are EFI and the Paper and Pulp Research Institute, Slovakia.

For further information, please contact project coordinator Dr. Ing. Tomáš Bucha, National Forest Centre, Slovakia at bucha@nlcsk.org.