ROSEWOOD4.0 builds on the well-established ROSEWOOD network of Regional Hubs connecting multiple actors along the forest value chain to reinforce the sustainability of wood mobilisation in Europe. The new action will especially reinforce and enlarge the links with Eastern Europe by creating a new Eastern Hub including new countries (Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine). Secondly, the action puts special emphasis on digitalisation (forestry industry 4.0) and digital tools (social media, platforms, e-learning) for training and coaching, enabling practitioners to share know-how with much wider impact. The focus on ICT addresses the two main challenges in wood mobilisation: 1) better access to resources through defragmentation of forest owners and 2) increased volume to the market and higher transparency. The project’s extensive dissemination of best practices, technological and non-technological innovations and research results feeds directly into national and regional Agriculture Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) in forestry and builds an efficient interface with the EIP-AGRI and the EIP Raw Materials, supported by the European networks EFI and InnovaWood. The multi-actor action closes knowledge gaps, connects and transfers tangible knowledge and best practice between forestry practitioners across the whole Europe. In an open innovation environment, the coordination of Regional Hubs facilitates also new opportunities for exploitation of near to market innovations and fosters business partnerships between stakeholders, aligned with local and regional development plans, to complement existing or initiate new Operational Groups within the EIP-AGRI. ROSEWOOD4.0 will contribute to enhanced competitiveness of the forest industry and to vital development in rural areas within the European Bioeconomy by responding to the imminent need for broader sharing of ICT-driven solutions in forestry.

ROSEWOOD is designed to develop regional networks that will connect actors of the wood mobilization value-chain from forest owners to relevant regional authorities but also forestry industry to cover and find answers to the main challenges in the field, especially the sustainability of the wood mobilization. Through the sharing of technological and non-technological innovations, best practice cases and RDI results, this multi-actor approach will close knowledge gaps and create new opportunities for economic partnerships between stakeholders and (inter)regional authorities. ROSEWOOD‘s focus on the transfer of know-how and information will enable and support foresters and regional authorities to exploit innovations and best-practices and facilitate the capture of grass root ideas for forestry development. ROSEWOOD will also provide practitioners with development skills (educational and entrepreneurial) and facilitate organizational innovations leading to novel exploitation chains through the development of a coaching methodology facilitating the uptake of new ideas and best practices. In addition, ROSEWOOD will explore the possible synergies between R&I investment and European Structural and Investment Funds to support the uptake of innovations within the value chain. These actions will contribute to an economically viable and sustainable development in forestry and in rural areas towards the enhancement of an EU Bioeconomy. ROSEWOOD‘s co-ordination and support actions will be implemented via Wood Mobilization Regional Hubs located within 4 communities across Europe providing greater opportunities for forestry to align its activities with local and regional development plans.