Research and development

Private foresters had a lot of quantitative data thanks to the data accumulated by the National Forest Inventory for more than 20 years, as well as information on the structure of the private forest thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture's survey in 1999. But they did not take into account the behaviour of forest owners. In 2009, the network for observing the behaviour of forest owners was launched by the CNPF and Fransylva, with the financial support of France Bois Forêt. The objective is to collect new information on the behaviour of forest owners, particularly regarding the management of their forests according to their forest area and the region where they live. In the surveys, the same behavioural trends of forest owners appear: sentimental attachment to their wood, environmental responsibility, heritage to be valued and source of economic income.

The main outcomes include so far:

• Surveys carried out by telephone to owners of more than 4ha of wood cadastral land with a duration of 15min
• 2500 people interviewed throughout France during the surveys
• Other surveys for specific studies at a more regional level (risk perception, climate change,...).  
• The results of the surveys make it possible to create new management tools for forest owners and new distribution media. They are also used to improve the advice of technicians in order to better take into account the expectations of forest owners and encourage them to mobilize their wood.

The objective of the OPTIM'indus action is to provide tailored support to develop the performance and competitiveness of companies by providing keys to meet the challenges facing the industry. It is financed by Europe, the Fund for Innovation in Industry, the New Aquitaine region and the OPCAIM (Joint Organisation for the Authorised Collection of Metallurgy Industries).
3 development axes are proposed to companies:
1) Project support
2) Skills development
3) Development of professional networks

The support of the company's projects is divided into several stages:
- expertise in skills and vocational training needs and an industrial diagnosis to define new technical orientations,
- assistance in improving processes, tools and product development, for example by carrying out a feasibility study or by putting partners, consultants or experts in contact with each other.
- proposal for financial assistance
OPTIM'indus offers Master Classes, training days or courses for executives, managers or technicians to develop skills.
It runs "Industry of the Future" clubs where companies meet and exchange ideas.

The operation reduces the amount of discarded wood, which is otherwise deposited at landfills or burned. A new service life is given to old wood and its lifetime is extended, which directly influence the prolongation of CO2 storage. The key sources of old wood will are defined, technological solutions for the use of such wood was developed and procedures for the production of windows were developed in cooperation with R&D institutions with an emphasis on the analysis of contaminated wood, physical properties of wood and the appropriate surface treatment of such products.

M Sora has developed a prototype of a timber window ReWin made of disposed timber. ReWin window is a unique example of a product that was developed by recycling the disposed timber that would otherwise end up at landfill, and represents a completely fresh idea and innovation in the field of builders’ joinery.

The sawmills have made an investment for the purchase of a machine suitable for turning wooden poles. The aim was to use local and naturally durable wood species without adding chemical impregnating agents (chestnut in Tuscany, larch in Trentino) to offer turned stakes for fences, wooden toys and outdoor furniture on the market. The approach was to innovate the production process to better exploit the characteristics of the two species, also with a view to increasing consumers' environmental sensitivity (0 km wood, without the use of chemical impregnating agents). The larch on the Alpine arc and the chestnut on the Apennine ridge certainly are not lacking in Italy, just as the small or less assortments market that could be in this way valued. The investments for the plant and the training of the personnel must be carefully evaluated, but good margins can be imagined. To enhance this type of production, widely used for public urban furnishings, the willingness of Public Administrations to develop "green purchasing" policies must be carefully evaluated. The Casolla sawmill produces around 600-800 m3 of larch turned piles per year, PEFC certified, of which about 70% is turned out of heart and 30% with heart. The product is much appreciated, every year new customers are added to those already established and the practice of replacing, once consumed, pine poles impregnated with those in local larch is spreading. A great result for the Casolla Sawmill was the supply of large quantities of this product for EXPO 2015 (Milan). This aspect represents a negative for the Tani sawmill, because many Tuscan administrations continue to buy turned and impregnated products of foreign origin. The company currently produces around 3,000 q of turned, chestnut but also douglasia, less than the potential it had set for itself.

The Travaglini Company has been active since 1976, when it managed to buy 36 hectares of forest. Over the years, thanks to a correct organization of work, attention to efficiency and quality and a correct use of public funding, she managed to "live with the resources of the forest", giving work to family members as well as seasonal workers. This example demonstrates how it is possible to create efficiency and innovation also in our sector and with our woods. What made the experience of this company great is certainly the mentality and passion with which work and investments have been faced over the years. Having always focused on the efficiency of the company organization and on the quality of the products has given the solid foundation to the company, which thanks to the push towards innovation, of process and product, has made a leap more. The Travaglini family company demonstrates every day how it is possible to work thanks to the forest also in the Apennines, using wood and renewable energy. The first investment was the construction of a large one agricultural storage with innovative features, to be able to work even on bad weather days. Under this structure there is a very well organized line for the production of 4 different types of poles. Subsequently, the company aimed to enhance its production waste, by installing one of the first district heating networks in Tuscany that serves 8 homes. Later the company also focused on the sale of part of the waste as a biofuel. Realizing that many families in the area preferred pellets rather than wood or wood chips, the Travaglini family created a new type of wood chips, called cippatino, capable of replacing pellets. This product, sold in 15 kg bags, costs less than pellets, and therefore is required by customers, but much more than wood and chips, bringing great added value to the company.

Xyloforest is a research, innovation and service platform for cultivated forest systems, products and materials. Its objective is to contribute to the adaptation of forest resources to climate change. Its scientific objective is to improve knowledge and implement innovative solutions to increase the use of wood in construction, improve wood quality and develop green chemistry. The scope covers the entire forest-wood chain: Xylomic: genomics and tree phenotyping Xylobiotech: forest biotechnologies Xylosylve: innovative silvicultural systems Xyloplate: advanced wood engineering Xylomat: Composite wood-based products and biosourced materials Xylochem: Wood chemistry and bio-refinery Xyloforest developed in 2011 following the call for projects “Equipement d'Excellence” of the future investment program (ANR-10-EQPX-16). The project is scheduled to end in 2020, and the grant received for its entire duration is €10.2 million. The aid is distributed among the various partners for the purchase of equipment. Each technical platform has a laboratory with specific equipment to host new collaborative projects. Laboratories can provide the scientific community with premises, or data and host measurement and experimental equipment. They can also contribute their experience for product and service developments (e.g. STRADIVERNIS project for the development of an industrial varnish based on rosin and vegetable oil from the Xylomat platform). The XYLOFOREST platform is a support for teaching on forests and wood with more than 130 students trained, including 57 doctoral students since 2013.

Scots pine wood from the Region of Pinares (a region located between the provinces of Soria and Burgos) enjoyed great prestige in the Spanish market, despite the fact that it lacked a common standardised basis among the companies in the sector that would allow  to launch a regulated product on the market that would facilitate its commercialisation.
There was also a mismatch between the quality of the product and the quality of the service offered to the buyer by the industry.
In this context, the first guarantee mark was created in the wood sector, the Guarantee Mark Pino Soria Burgos.

The main lesson learned is that the wood sector requires common marketing standards that make it easier for users to buy their products, eliminating confusion and insecurities that lead to a rejection of the use of wood. They also allow generating a mercantile reference to compete with the rest of products, whether made of wood or other materials such as concrete, steel, pvc…
It also allows for closer ties between the business and technology sectors, which guarantees continuous improvement of the business sector through both training and innovation.

This guarantee mark is based on three basic pillars: Guarantee of origin, sustainability (all forests and their processors are certified under the PEFC system) and quality (common marketing bases are established).
More than 48 municipalities and the Community of the 150 villages of the Land of Soria, and a total of 15 companies of first transformation of the wood, have joined.
On the other hand, we have managed to join a sector that until the creation of the Guarantee Brand was completely dispersed. In addition, its close relationship with Cesefor (forestry and wood technological centre) has enabled it to carry out extensive certification of its products (CE marking, PEFC, carbon footprint), training courses (cost control, structural calculation, wood treatment, etc.), and innovation projects (structural characterisation, development of new building systems, etc.). Currently, the companies of the Guarantee Mark are references in the Spanish wood sector and in the construction sector.