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Innovation in Forestry:
territorial and value chain relationships

edited by Weis, G., Pettenella, D., Ollonqvist, P. and Slee, B.


This book is the result of the COST Action E51 on “ Integrating Innovation and Development Policies for the Forest Sector”, which studied innovation policies and processes in the forest sector in Europe. The central question of the Action was: To what extent do policies create an innovation-enabling environment for enterprises in forestry and the forest-based industries? Among others, the participants of the Action reviewed conceptual approaches for the study of innovation in the sector, and conducted empirical case studies from the most important innovation fields.

This publication makes a significant contribution to the study of innovation in forestry and the forest-based industries. It presents the first comprehensive overview and assessment of the relevant research approaches for the study of innovation processes and policies in the forest sector and their application in the most relevant current innovation fields in Europe. It assesses the innovation-related particularities of two very different fields of production: territorial goods and services as well as wood value chains – two areas which differ significantly in their preconditions for innovation and that are conventionally tackled by separate research fields. It is hoped that this book will be a valuable resource for researchers, specialised students, interested stakeholders, and policy-makers.

The book is available to order here


Table of Contents


  1. The Study of Innovation in the Forest Sector: Relevance and Research Background
  2. Theoretical Approaches for the Analysis of Innovation Processes and Policies in the Forest Sector
  3. Networks of Small-Medium Enterprises Operating in Forestry: Some Theoretical Concepts and Empirical Evidence
  4. Innovation-related Knowledge Flows: Comparative Analysis of Finnish and Estonian Wood Sectors
  5. Institutional Innovation in European Private forestry: the Emergence of Forest Owners' Organizations  
  6. The Contribution of Leader+ to the Implementation of Innovative Forest-related Projects
  7. How to Support Firm Competitiveness in Timber Industries? Clusters as Policy Means in Four European Countries
  8. Innovation in Forest-related Territorial Goods and Services: an Introduction
  9. Innovative Market Opportunities Related to Carbon Sequestration in European Forests?
  10. The Role of Networks in Non-wood Forest Products and Services Market Development
  11. The Role of Cooperation in Enhancing Innovation in Nature-based Tourism Services
  12. Innovations in Wood-based Enterprises, Value Chains and Networks: an Introduction
  13. Role of Policies and National Programmes on Innovations in Timber-frame Construction
  14. Networks and Local Milieus as a Furniture Industry Innovation Platform
  15. Innovation in the Wood Bio-energy Sector in Europe
  16. Policy and Market-related Factors for Innovation in Forest Operation Enterprises
  17. Innovation in EU Forestries: a Science-Policy Dialogue
  18. How to Support Innovation in the Forest Sector: Summary and Conclusions