PRESS RELEASES

28 projects will transform the forest value chain

The transForm Agenda is born from the growing need to foster cooperation between actors in the forest sector to bring about structural transformations in value chains to respond to the current societal challenges, such as digitalisation, climate transition and carbon neutrality.

Under component C5 of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), related to Capitalisation and Business Innovation, and within the context of the Green Agendas/Alliances for Business Innovation, the transForm – Agenda for the digital transformation of forest value chains into a more resilient and low-carbon portuguese economy – was launched.

Led by Altri Florestal and under the technical-scientific coordination of CoLAB ForestWISE, the transForm Agenda is a consortium that brings together 57 partners, from companies across the forestry value chain and the energy sector (62%), universities and entities of the National Scientific and Technological System (23%), public administration (5%) and associations (10%), in an unprecedented effort of sectoral cooperation.

These partners will work on 28 collaborative projects that aim to boost the sustainability, circular economy and resilience of the forest, helping to increase the sector’s business competitiveness and exports. In addition, transForm will complement the structural reforms planned in Component 8 of the RRP – Forests, which is mainly the responsibility of the Public Administration.

“The development of these projects will give rise to new products, processes and services with high added value and that will drive structural transformations throughout the forest value chain, namely in forest management and fire risk reduction, in territorial valorisation (mainly in low density areas), in circular economy practices in forestry industries, in new digital technologies and forestry equipment, in strengthening markets and consumers and in empowering people and companies, says Carlos Fonseca, Chief Technology Officer of CoLAB ForestWISE.

The kick-off meeting of the transForm Agenda took place on Monday 17 October, at the facilities of Altri Florestal, in Olho Marinho, with the presence of the consortium partners, in which the procedures for the following phases were established. The meeting presented the projects that integrate each one of the five main pillars (work packages) The results are expected to contribute to improving management and decision-making by all stakeholders in the forestry sector.

“Forests and the forestry sector are drivers of reindustrialisation and socio-economic development, however they face concrete needs, which are intended to be answered by this Agenda, whose objectives were prepared with the actors of the sector”, mentioned at the end of the meeting, Alexandra Marques, Senior Researcher of ForestWISE and member of the coordination team of the transForm Agenda, who also added that they are “very committed to this Agenda, which complies completely with the ForestWISE mission of co-generation and transfer of knowledge and technology on the integrated management of forest and fire”.

Running until December 2025 and covering the whole country, transForm will have a total planned investment of around 130 million euros, aimed at productive investment, research, development and innovation, qualification and internationalisation, dissemination and training of human resources.

For more information: media@forestwise.pt