Tandem Forest Values – first call for applications

Today, on Finland’s 100 year anniversary as an independent nation, the first call for Tandem Forest Values applications is launched. Tandem Forest Values is a bilateral research program within forestry and the forest products industry, comprising 12 post-doctoral positions to a total value of SEK 24 million.

The purpose is to strengthen and develop bilateral research collaboration in a durable fashion between actors in the field of forestry and industrial forestry in Finland and Sweden. Tandem Forest Values is Sweden’s official gift to Finland’s centenary of independence celebrations.

Finland and Sweden are leading forestry nations in Europe and the world, and forestry and the forest products industry constitute cornerstones in the economies of the countries. Together, the countries have less than two per cent of the world’s forestry assets but represent nonetheless almost ten per cent of production of the world’s forestry-related products. Both Finland and Sweden are working ambitiously through national forestry programmes whose focus is on the emerging bio-economy and a fossil-free society, in addition to developing the forestry sector in general. Distinguishing features of the bio-economy include the utilisation of renewable bio-based natural resources and the use of clean technological methods to improve the condition of the environment, as well as the effective recycling of material. While the forest forms a renewable natural resource with significant potential for development, there are also many challenges to deal with so the forest can satisfy all demands on it and contribute to attaining important societal goals.

The huge expectations of the forest demonstrate the need to develop knowledge about sustainable biomass production and smarter use and processing of biomass, but also the need for a development of patterns of consumption, financial business models for different ecosystem services, and policy instruments.

The forest has a crucial role to play in climate efforts and also in achieving several of the other sustainability targets. Furthermore, a growing number of claims on the forest lead to greater complexity when weighing up how the forest’s resources are best used and which new industrial forestry products and processes need to be developed. This alone increases the need for trans-disciplinary knowledge to support the development towards an industry that can better take advantage of and protect all the ecosystems in the northerly forests than it currently does, and which supports industrial forestry development that can meet future needs for new products.

In order to strengthen and develop bilateral research collaboration in a durable fashion between actors in the field of forestry and industrial forestry in Finland and Sweden, the Swedish Government, together with the Swedish Forest Industries Federation, the Kempe Foundations, the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation and the Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry have donated a gift to Finland’s centenary of independence celebrations for a specific research initiative. In total this gift amounts to SEK 24 million and will result in 12 postdoctoral positions comprising SEK 1 million per year for two years.

Universities or research institutes in Finland and in Sweden are expected to formulate research applications together, and engage suitable researchers for projects within two thematic areas:

1. Sustainable forestry management. Knowledge is needed, from basic and applied research, which can contribute to new methods of forest management that meet both existing and new needs and targets of forest owners and society. In order to understand the role of the forest in efforts to tackle the climate change, new system knowledge is needed to find out how the managed boreal forest landscape can contribute further, and what the effects of different measures are in the forest and in society.
2. New products and processes. The Swedish and Finnish forests have a huge potential to contribute to the bio-economic society, in which bio-based materials, products and processes are central to attaining the set climate targets. Therefore, knowledge, which can support development and breakthroughs of both existing and new sustainable products and production processes, is necessary. In addition, system analyses into how forest raw materials ought to be used to create the greatest benefit for society are needed.

Applications must be KSLA duly to hand no later than Thursday 29th March 2018. The final decision will be made by the Board of KSLA no later than the end of June 2018.

More information: Academy Forester Birgitta Naumburg, birgitta.naumburg@ksla.se, +46 8 5454 7707

To more information at ksla.se