Nature restoration, wood-based innovation and forest information at the focus of the third Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers 2023

The Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers brings European decision-makers to Finland, to find out about Finnish forests, nature management and wood-based innovations.

The three-day event, beginning on 20 September 2023 in Tuusula, close to the capital Helsinki, is the third Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers jointly organised by Sweden and Finland. It will provide an opportunity for high-level dialogue on topical forest issues between key EU decision-makers and forest sector stakeholders.

’Nordic forest know-how attracts interest in Europe. Once again, the Forest Academy will be attended by decision-makers with expertise in various fields, with whom we will discuss the use of forests and wood as a solution for the global challenges of the future,’ says Eveliina Pokela, Senior Specialist at the Finnish Forest Association, the body in charge of organising the Forest Academy for Decision Makers.

The opening of the 2023 Forest Academy will be held in a brand-new log building in Tuusula. In addition to an upper secondary school, the building named Monio is used for cultural activities and is largely constructed of wood. Sari Essayah, Finnish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, and Peter Kullgren, Swedish Minister for Rural Affairs, will present their greetings at the opening over a video link.

In his opening speech, Research Professor Ali Harlin, known for his work on wood-based innovations at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, will discuss the latest news on the long-awaited breakthrough of wood-based textiles and the methods used by the forest industry that have enabled a continuous decrease of its carbon dioxide emissions.

After the opening, the participants will travel to Central Finland to visit, among other things, a site demonstrating the nature management of commercial forest and the bioproduct mill at Äänekoski. During the event, the participants will learn about both research and practical work to support sustainable economy in Europe and to provide solutions assisting the green transition.

’The visits, facilitated discussions and interaction with top experts will provide the participants with a unique opportunity to gain first-hand practical information about topical forest issues on the EU agenda,’ says Pokela.

Other issues explored during the Forest Academy will be the monitoring of the state of forests and the restoration of forest nature. On the Kaunisharju esker, owned by the city of Jyväskylä, the participants will be informed about nature management in a valuable forest habitat containing small-leaved lime, by experts from the Central Finland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment and the Finnish Forest Centre.

’We want to encourage the participants to engage in thought-provoking discussion and to help them gain a more profound understanding of the challenges and potential of the forest sector in the European context,’ Pokela says.

The Forest Academy for EU Decision Makers 2023 is the third in a series of events jointly organised by Finland and Sweden to promote forest-related dialogue among EU decision-makers. The event is funded by the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Finnish Forest Foundation, the Metsämiesten Säätiö Foundation and the Marjatta ja Eino Kollin säätiö foundation. The body in charge of the practical arrangements is the Finnish Forest Association, developer of the Forest Academy for Decision Makers communication concept. The Forest Academy events have been successfully organised in Finland since 1996. For more information, visit www.forestacademy.fi/eu

Additional information:
Eveliina Pokela, Director, Forest Academy for Decision Makers, Finnish Forest Association, +358 44 560 0006, eveliina.pokela@smy.fi