ROSEWOOD4.0 strengthens MapViewer of good practice and innovation in European wood markets

Rosewood 4.0 consortium partners met on September 2020 to share the latest progress of the project, analysing the strengths and improvements identified in each project regional “hub” in Europe. In this sense, and in line with the work undertaken in the first stage of the project, efforts are being deployed to design roadmaps, create a training platform that includes all the updated information on the wood sector, and expand the “collection” of good practices geographically located in the MapViewer of this project, which includes some of the leading technologies from all over Europe. Among the new features of this MapViewer update, it is worth noting that it is being completed with a second search engine with recommended training courses (drop-down ‘Educational Opportunities‘), which do not require university training.

ROSEWOOD4.0 focuses on digitisation and digital tools for knowledge transfer, training and capacity building, enabling professionals to share knowledge with a much wider impact. The project enhances the European ROSEWOOD network established in the first stage of the project, to provide more actors in the wood mobilisation value chain with greater opportunities to share good practices in the field, and also provides access to a wider range of technological and non-technological innovations. The focus on digital platforms and digital training solutions addresses an identified gap, where the forestry sector is lagging behind in terms of adapting and disseminating modern ICT solutions. This contributes to two main challenges in mobilising wood in Europe, namely access to raw material and market transparency.

Why is the sustainable mobilisation of wood in Europe important?

Wood is not only a valuable resource in our forests. Each link in its value chain (from production, harvesting, processing and consumption) can play a vital role in the development of a new circular bioeconomy, increasingly becoming a viable and more sustainable alternative to other less ‘planet-friendly’ materials. Promotion and innovation in this area will contribute to business discovery, social innovation and the joint design of innovative and locally adapted value chains in rural areas.