Introducing new EFI research programmes: Bioeconomy and Resilience

EFI has launched new research programmes to support the implementation of its new strategy: Bioeconomy and Resilience. Both of the programmes are the main units responsible for leading, coordinating and developing the respective strategic themes with the support of other units. More info on the EFI Strategy 2025 can be found here.

The Bioeconomy Programme is located at the EFI Headquarters in Joensuu, Finland. Prof. Dr. Pekka Leskinen started as the Head of Bioeconomy Programme in February 2017. The programme addresses the need for foresight, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral research at the interface of markets, products, policies and forest resources. Generating knowledge about the broad sustainability implications of developing a European forest bioeconomy, as well as the effects of different regulations and policy incentives is also key.

The programme's strategic topics include:

• The future demand and supply of forest products, forest biomass and ecosystem services, and their implications for sustainable forest management as well as for afforestation and plantation forestry.
• Sustainability impact assessment and monitoring of forest-based products and services value chains.
• The future markets of increasingly diversified and cross-sectoral forest-based products and services as a result of socioeconomic and policy changes.
• The role of innovation and digitalization, and policies affecting sustainable bioeconomy development.

The Resilience Programme is located in Bonn, Germany and its Head of Programme is Dr Georg Winkel. The programme addresses the need for new interdisciplinary research to understand the impacts of climate change and the role of forest management on biodiversity conservation as well as the needed to connect forest science to other land-use disciplines and urban studies to create a basis for effective, integrated policies and forest and land-use management strategies.  

Strategic topics of the programme include:

• The impacts of global change and related risks on forest socio-ecological systems, and the strategies to enhance and restore their capacity to adapt and provide forest ecosystem services and products.
• Policies, strategies and management practices to enhance biodiversity in a rapidly changing environment, considering different regional and socio-economic settings.
• Strategies and management practices to enhance the role of forests and trees in increasing the resilience of rural areas to climate change, including a better understanding of agroforestry.
• The role of urban forestry, nature based solutions and wood construction in developing climate smart cities, better rural-urban interfaces and enhancing health and wellbeing in urban areas.

Further information from Pekka Leskinen, Head of Bioeconomy Programme and Georg Winkel, Head of Resilience, firstname.lastname@efi.int