Annual Conference Highlights: new conversations and connections
On 18 September, 85 participants joined the EFI Secretariat in Bonn, Germany, for the EFI Annual Conference. EFI Associate and Affiliate Members heard about what had taken place during 2023-2024, plans for the development of the new EFI Strategy 2040, and discussed EFI’s work plan for 2025.
Members had the opportunity to make new connections and take part in new conversations, with two interactive sessions on topical issues. The Members’ Dialogue Session focused on communications and multi-stakeholder engagement, exploring some of the challenges and opportunities when engaging with eg the media, policymakers and the general public. A lively panel discussion provided insights into approaches, strategies and impacts, with EFI’s Assistant Director for Policy Support Helga Pülzl and Head of Communications Rach Colling joined by Marc Gramberger Managing Director of Prospex Institute.
The afternoon’s Young Scientists Session explored the world of AI and forests, presenting the results of a Hackathon on Generative AI and forests, as well as offering the chance to hear from three young researchers working with AI in different contexts.
The 2024 Conference was organised together with our member organisation, Forestry and Timber North Rhine-Westphalia (The Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz NRW), University of Bonn, Institute for Food and Resource Economics, City of Bonn, Ministry for Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine - Westphalia and Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
Decision-making session in brief
A warm welcome to our new Board member Felipe Bravo!
Dr Leire Barañano stepped down from the EFI Board after two consecutive terms, and a call for nominations for the open seat was launched in summer 2024. The Annual Conference elected Professor Felipe Bravo, Spain as the new EFI Board member.
Prof Bravo is a Quantitative Silviculture and Forest Management professor at the University of Valladolid’s Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute (iuFOR). He has worked at the University of Valladolid for the past three decades, and spent 10 years as Dean of the Agricultural, Food and Forestry School. In addition, he was president of the Spanish Forest Sciences Society for 9 years.
Professor Margarida Tomé was re-elected as a member of the EFI Board for the term 2024-2027.
The Annual Conference agreed to waive the 2024 membership fees for EFI’s Ukrainian member organisations. It also extended a warm welcome to the two new Associate Members and one Affiliate Member who have joined the EFI network since the 2023 Annual Conference. This means that EFI currently has a network of c. 126 member organisations from 39 countries.
The next EFI Annual Conference will take place in Prague, Czech Republic from 17-19 September 2025, with a Scientific Seminar which will focus on addressing emergent risks to European forests. The Annual Conference also approved the locations of the Annual Conferences to be held in 2026 and 2027, which will be in Växjö, Sweden and Ljubljana, Slovenia respectively.
Congratulations to the new EFI Fellows!
Finally, six new EFI Fellows received recognition:
- Prof Dr Christine Farcy, Board Member 2015-2021
- Prof Dr Elena Paoletti, Scientific Advisory Board member 2015-2022 and Board member 2023-
- Prof Bill Slee, Scientific Advisory Board member 2011-2016
- Prof Dr Phoebe Koundouri, Scientific Advisory Board member 2016-2023
- Dr Marc Palahí, Director of EFI 2015-2023
- Dr Gary Kerr, Scientific Advisory Board member 2017-2023
Catch up with some photos from the event on our LinkedIn channel.
Photo: Rosa Castañeda, EFI
