ONEforest – for common forest management

The Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences is leading an international project on the future of the forestry and timber industry in the European Union. The aim is to improve sustainability. The project was launched on 1 June 2021. A total of 19 partners from eight countries, primarily universities and colleges, are involved in the three-year project. The overall project is funded by the European research framework programme Horizon 2020 with an amount of around 5.2 million euro.

As Veronika Auer, Deputy Head of the Center for Biobased Materials (ZBM) at TH Rosenheim, explains, “We will analyse the entire value chain of the forestry and timber industry in order to gain insights for its sustainable transformation”. The focus here is on the holistic consideration of the forest ecosystem and economic system. As Auer states, “The forest serves many functions: it offers protection against avalanches, people can use it for relaxation, and forest owners can use it as a source of income”. The main objective of the “ONEforest” project is to combine the various aspects in the best possible way. In various scenario analyses for the next 30 years, the scientists will provide concrete proposals.

Developed in close cooperation with the Bavarian Research Alliance and European partners, the project brings together the expertise of the Centre for Biobased Materials, the Centre for Research, Development and Transfer (Lina Maria Girata Sastoque, Dr. Martin Brunsmeier, Claudia Bayer, Dr. Sebastian Hirschmüller, Jonas Schwarz) and the specialist area of sustainable product development and production (Prof. Dr. Sandra Krommes) on the subject of the timber industry and sustainability.

Focus on sustainable action

"We not only want to look at the forest from an economic perspective, but also focus on the ecosystem functions of the forest. So what benefits and value the forest has for society and for people’s quality of life, as well as for climate and environmental protection,” Krommes explains. Ideally, approaches will be found to evaluate the forest and the forest-wood value chain in a holistic way from an economic, ecological and social perspective.

In order to examine the various functions of the forest in detail, the project team examines four biogeographical model regions in order to take into account differences in climate and forest conditions, forest growth, timber supply and use. The necessary changes to our forests, from monocultures to mixed crops, also play a role, so that they are less susceptible to damage from insects, storms or drought. Mediterranean forests in Spain, Alpine forests in Switzerland, continental forests in Germany and northern forests in Estonia are being examined.

Under the leadership of TH Rosenheim and the University of Trento, the project is also investigating the use of a wood fibre biopolymer composite as a soil covering. “In particular, the effects on soil erosion, vegetation, water storage capacity, microbiological activity and soil stabilisation potential are examined in greater detail,” explains Hirschmüller.

Cooperation with various interest groups

Another important aspect, according to Auer, is to involve all stakeholders and, in particular, the timber industry in the transformation of forestry. "The forest will change over the coming decades, and this will also have an impact on material flows and products. We want to prepare the companies in the value chain for this and develop prospects for the future use of wood together with them."