EU PROJECT FORESDA – TRANSNATIONAL STRATEGY AND LOCAL ACTION PLANS FOR IMPROVED CROSS-SECTORAL COLLABORATION ARE BEING FINALIZED

The objective of the workpackage 3 is to develop a joint Transnational Strategy on improving the framework conditions for forest-based cross-sectoral value chains, and mirror this strategy in Local Action Plans for improved cross-sectoral innovation processes for SMEs of the forest-based sector. In order to create the documents, project partners performed different activities. After the mapping and analysis of the regional innovation systems, that included desk researches and interviews on the regional level, both with forest-based industries and non forest-based industries stakeholders, the partners compared the results and selected the needs for enhancing each regional innovation system to be addressed in a transnational and cross-sectoral collaboration through new or improved support environments within the project. At the moments, both documents, the Transnational Strategy and the Local Action Plans are being finalized and will be public from January 2018. They are being created according to the priority areas identified from the partners as a result of the previously listed activities, as follows: Image & Lobbying, Policy & Legislative Support, Funding & Business Environment, Education & Human Resources. A general conclusion: Improvements are possible in each area and the partners will address them in their Local Action Plans as a part of their strategic activities. Finally, the results will be integrated into the Sustainability Plan, the document, which will be a kind of the roadmap on the possible ways and actions for the improvement of the cross-sectoral collaboration within forest-based industries. The Sustainability plan will be created at the end of the FORESDA project activities.