Horizon Europe FORADVISE Project: European forestry advisory and extension networks

FORADVISE will develop a European network of forest advisory organizations, actors, and networks to support the modernization of the forest sector and advance national and EU policy objectives. It will accelerate knowledge flows, increase the competencies of forest advisors beyond traditional advisory areas, and develop pathways toward a future Forest Knowledge and Innovation System (FOKIS) in Europe. Its ultimate goal is to advance more resilient, multifunctional, and productive forests in Europe.

To achieve this, FORADVISE creates an EU forest advisory network on forestry and encourages an iterative process of knowledge exchange, combining national and international actions, and implements pilot knowledge transfer programs to adapt advisory practices to new contexts. It develops training modules, contextualizing proven approaches and materials and delivering them through a MOOC. It develops a set of cost-benefit analysis tools to increase advisors' capacities to assess social and economic implications. The lessons learned are the basis for systematic engagement by policymakers to create feasible and desirable pathways for the development of forest advisory systems in Europe and integrate forest advisors into Member States' AKIS.

All these activities are supported by an analysis of Forest Knowledge and Innovation Systems and the needs and preferences of their various stakeholders. Project activities are supported by dedicated communication and dissemination activities and leveraged through tailored impact pathways, including a digital knowledge platform. As the project progresses, a seamless transition to a self-sustaining network is incorporated into project activities. A specific task identifies working modalities and business models for the long-term continuity of the network, drawing on the experience of the FOREXT initiative. The FORADVISE consortium brings together key European players in forest advisory services.