The bio-based economy will bring new sustainable job opportunities for citizens across Europe. However, some regions have little experience or knowledge of how to transition away from fossil fuels. The EU-funded POWER4BIO project is helping to share best practices and provide guidance, to ensure no region in Europe is left behind.
A great deal of biodiversity, accounting for an enormous variety of plants, amongst other forms of life, is found on the forest floor but this is often overlooked in forest management strategies. An EU-funded project developed an online tool to accurately take account of biodiversity loss at this level. This will help to conserve forests for future generations of EU citizens.
An EU-funded project developed new natural plant pest and disease control products that some farmers are already using on their farms. The aim is to reduce the use of chemicals to protect crops - a benefit for human health and the environment.
EU-funded researchers have discovered new families of proteins and enzymes that will enable the development of novel plant-based biomaterials, potentially providing viable sustainable and renewable alternatives to plastics and other fossil-fuel-derived materials and chemicals.
EU-funded researchers planted, harvested, processed and analysed the life cycle of woody crops to establish how efficient and environmentally friendly they are as a source of fuel for electricity and heat.
An EU-funded project has mapped out and evaluated the non-food, feed and wood 'goods' provided by agricultural and forest land in a bid to improve support under the EU's common agricultural policy and boost citizen involvement in the provision of public goods.
The heavy vehicles used in forestry operations could become more energy efficient and kinder to the environment, thanks to technical innovations being developed by the EU-funded Forwarder2020 project. The innovations could also boost the forestry industry's global competitiveness.
The EU-funded AF3 project has developed advanced detection and prediction software, as well as new blaze-fighting technologies aimed at saving lives and limiting destruction caused by forest fires.
From local recycling schemes to community-led business start-ups, social innovation can drive the revitalisation of marginalised areas where markets and public administrations have failed. EU-funded researchers are studying examples of social innovation and exploring how best practices can be shared across Europe and beyond.
Forests are versatile renewable resources, but load-carrying forestry machines can damage the soil. An EU-funded project has developed a tracked, off-road timber transporter, or forwarder, that exerts less pressure on soil, as well as a device to measure soil disturbance - part of a sustainable solution to protecting Europe's valuable forests.
