Today in the European Parliament, Maria da Graça Carvalho hosted the debate The forest-based sector's vision for growth - A revised Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for 2020, which was organised by the Forest-based Sector Technology Platform FTP.
During her intervention Ms Carvalho underlined thei importance to debate the potential of research and innovation in the European forest-based sector to create economic growth and to provide solutions to societal challenges.
Seven years ago, the European forest-based sector set out a bold vision for its development to 2030. A Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) was also developed, to provide a roadmap for achieving this vision. The sector has now renewed its Vision 2030, which supports the EU's Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. It reflects the fact that the forest-based sector is a key actor in and enabler of the biobased society and identifies four Strategic Themes: the forest-based sector in a biobased society, responsible management of forest resources, creating industrial leadership and fulfilling consumer needs.
The Forest-based Sector Technology Platform (FTP) represents the European forest-based sector. It works on behalf of more than 350,000 small, medium and large-sized companies with a turnover of 8% of the EU GDP, as well as forest owners, both public and private, who together sustainably manage more than two thirds of European forest land.