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Briussels, 15 February, 2005
The Forest-Based Industries are an important European industrial sector, accounting for 9% of manufacturing European GDP, providing vital jobs across Europe, particularly in rural areas, and contributing to quality of life. In particular forests are an important resource for the new Member States of the European Union.
The production process of the Vision document for the European forest-based sector has been completed. The Vision document is published in the launching event of the Forest-Based Sector Technology Platform on the 15th of February, 2005, in Brussels in the context of FBI Forum.
The content of the document is based a European wide consultation of the key stakeholders. During the past months, it was carried out several activities in different EU-countries and organisations to collect views and inputs to the document, e.g. workshops arranged by R&D institutes, analysis processes of the future products in different companies and within individuals etc. Existing materials, e.g. CEI-Bois RoadMap 2010, were utilised in the formation of the vision, challenges and strategic objectives of the Forest-Based Sector.
The Project Group was responsible for the coordination of the document production. Inputs to the document are supplied by
- companies, universities, research institutes, associations
- national support groups
- national expertises
- authorities, the European Commission services
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 The European forest-based sector demonstrated on Tuesday its commitment to the future of industry and a sustainable Europe with the launch of the Forest Technology Platform, at the Forest-Based Industries (FBI) Forum 2005.
The platform outlines a high level strategy, focussing on innovation and research that will drive the forest-based sector forward into the 21st century and ensure its long-term competitiveness.
Europe faces a major challenge in the coming decades: to meet its goal for economic growth and at the same time, protect the environment and enhance the European social model. The forest-based industries can contribute significantly to meeting all of these objectives. A high level group of key stakeholders has been established to examine the challenges facing the sector in this context and how to best succeed. The Technology Platform sets out the sector’s vision of how this will be achieved.
European Commissioner for Research, Janez Potocnik said of the launch of the Platform:
“Turning ideas and knowledge into sustainable solutions, competitive products and innovation applications is the name of the game in today's global economy. There is much innovation potential in the European forest-based sector. By pooling R&D efforts and investments at European level, this industry can become a technological leader.”
By 2030, the forest-based sector aims to be a key contributor to a sustainable Europe, operating a competitive, innovative and knowledge-based industry and fostering an extended use of renewable forest resources. It will provide important economic, environmental and social input to a society with customer-driven and bio-based economy.
The sector’s future must be to increase competitiveness and continue to build on its unique ability to provide services based on and enhancing, sustainability. Investing in innovation and focused research alongside strategic cooperation with research institutions, the financial sector and public bodies is vital to developing the technologies, processes and products, and securing the future talent, that will allow it to do so.
The vision builds on this view, presenting the opportunities that must be exploited to move forward successfully. It sets out the new products, markets and applications that the sector can develop and provide to society in the context of a future bio-economy. These include not only improvements on existing logistic systems, building, hygiene and lifestyle products but exciting new developments ranging from ‘green chemicals’ to ‘smart’ packaging and fibre based information transfer.
The Platform is launched in the context of the bi-annual F-BI Forum. The forum’s focus for 2005 is competitiveness and the role of the European forest-based industries in meeting the Lisbon objective. This year the forum will also examine the key issue of the role of image on competitiveness. Attended by senior representatives from the forest-based sector and other industry sectors, EU officials, Members of the European Parliament and NGOs it provides a high level platform for debate on key industry issues.
What are technology platforms?
Technology platforms have been an innovation in EU research policy. they were developed to foster effective public-private partnerships. Through this cooperation, technology platforms can define the necessary research and technological priorities for that sector in the medium to long- term and to coordinate European and national, as well as public and private, R&D investments. In doing so, technology platforms can make a significant contribution to the development of a European Research Area.
They bring together all interested parties in a particular sector, or areas. These will vary from one sector to another, but will include research institutions, national and regional public authorities, financial institutions, users groups, regulatory authorities, policy-makers, NGOs. In each case, industry is the driving force. These areas are chosen for their strategic importance or their potential contribution to the European Union’s goals of knowledge-based growth, competitiveness and employment.
For more information: http://www.cordis.lu/technology-platforms |
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