Wood Procurement

The topic area “Wood Procurement” deals with digitalization and benchmarking and examines the Swiss wood market with the long-term goal of facilitating wood procurement.

In the area of wood procurement, we focus on innovative, market-oriented solutions that ensure resilient and efficient wood supply through digitalization and sustainable approaches. The goal is a market-compliant supply that relies on long-term adaptability.

Digital technologies and data-driven approaches optimize forest management and increase the value of forests for forest owners. This includes a clear definition of the roles of government and forest management, as well as forestry benchmarking that integrates ecological, social, and economic factors. Research and practice-oriented solutions support the sustainable development of timber supply and strengthen its market position.

Strategic goals

The most important goal in the area of wood procurement is the provision of wood in line with market requirements.

This requires strategic and structural developments in forestry.

In detail, the following objectives and measures are important:

Ensure security of supply for the main tree species (leading species) through consensus between forest owners and industry in order to pool economic, technological and standardisation activities and achieve broad coverage.
Forest management is organized into sufficiently large, entrepreneurial and long-term sustainable operating units that operate according to best-practice principles.
- Public forest variant: joint, professional forestry operation for the joint management of the relevant forests.
- Private forest variant: cooperation in regional organizations of forest owners who offer their services according to entrepreneurial criteria.
- Important are:
  - Forestry services
  - Specialization quality standard
  - Business administration training
  - Public and forest owners knowledge and understanding of forest uses
The roles of the state and the forestry sector have been clarified. The state limits itself to creating framework conditions that ensure the efficient provision of timber and other important ecosystem services through the forestry sector.
Benchmarks and leading organizations are established regionally.
Forest and timber use secure ecosystem services. Additional needs are addressed and valued in a benefit-oriented manner.
The research is oriented towards the value chain, with the focus is on the cycle and not necessarily on the cascade.
Forestry education and training is designed to target the bioeconomy/value creation system, and the content is taught at all levels of training.
Digitalization and standards are established across the entire value chain.
Forest owners are aware of their responsibility for all ecosystem services; production goals are customer-oriented.
Framework conditions for better marketing and sales channels are created.
The conditions for a consistent and transparent value chain are created.

Measures and proposed actions

Measure: Increase and ensure wood supply

Suggested actions:
- Usage-optimized provisioning
- Opportunities for timber provision in less developed areas

Measure: Cantons and the federal government clarify forest policy principles and roles of the actors within the framework of an overall concept

Proposed action: Activities for business, technology and standardization should be bundled and broad coverage achieved.

Measure: Develop a model for forest and timber use including ecosystem services

Suggestions for action: Acceptance research in the social sciences to (re-)activate the awareness and responsibility of forest owners for the raw material and other ecosystem services of their forests.
- How can forest owners be motivated?
- How do you approach forest owners?
- Life cycle analyses (LCAs) are intended to make the various services of the forest assessable and comparable."

Measure: Initiate joint projects between research and practice

Proposed action: No specific fields of action

Measure: Establish international exchange of experience

Proposal for action: Establishment and operation of international experience groups

Measure: Establish digitalized processes and standards through cluster projects and adaptation

Suggested action: Involvement of innovative, larger companies in particular, as they already have a lot of know-how.

Measure: Establish demonstration projects and best practice examples for benchmarks

Proposed action: No specific fields of action

Measure: Forestry benchmarking in terms of efficiency and impact is focused on social, ecological and economic factors (Test Farm Network TBN DA-CH)

Proposal for action: Consideration of modern governance models and possibilities regarding the use and marketing of usage rights

Measure: Influence training and further education as well as specialist planning

Proposed action: The state limits itself to framework conditions that ensure the efficient provision of wood and other important ecosystem services through forestry.

Measure: Increase the relevance of forests for forest owners

Suggested actions: Information should be available on the following areas:

- Forest production models for different scenarios must be developed and evaluated (monetarily and ecologically).
- Solutions for the marketing of used ecosystem services and their added value must be created.

Measure: Orient research towards adding the greatest value

Suggested actions:
- Development of marketable, innovative materials/uses from the by-products
- Pilot studies to compare variants between the different possible uses
(also with regard to cycle and cascade)

Projects of our members

Below you will find the table of projects. Select the measure relevant to you, and the projects will be listed by approval year, funding organization, project title, and institution.

2021	FOEN WHFF	Timber harvesting and nutrient sustainability in beech stands	WSL Sustainable Forestry
2019	FOEN Wood Action Plan	Optimized multifunctional forest planning	WSL, Forest Production Systems
2021	EU	Digital Analytics and Robotics for Sustainable Forestry	WSL Sustainable Forestry
2016	FOEN Wood Action Plan	Mixed forests from group planting	WSL Stand Dynamics and Silviculture
2020	WSL Call	Impacts of climate change induced extreme windthrow events on forest management and economy of European forest enterprises - ExWiFe	WSL Forest Production Systems

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Completed measures and the latest findings from the S-WIN network

The latest findings from the S-WIN network are published here every six months.

International projects and funding programmes

Horizon Europe

Description: Supports research and innovation in various fields, including sustainable forestry and wood technology.
Homepage: Horizon Europe

LIFE Programme for the Environment and Climate Action

Description: Funds projects on environmental conservation and biodiversity, including sustainable forest management.
Homepage: LIFE Programme [ungültige URL entfernt]

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)

Description: Provides support for rural development, agriculture and forestry.

InvestEU

Description: Mobilizes private investment to promote sustainable projects, including timber construction.
Homepage: InvestEU

Just Transition Fund

Description: Supports regions in the transition to a climate-neutral economy, including sustainable forestry.
Homepage: Just Transition Fund [ungültige URL entfernt]

Interreg Programmes

Description: Promotes cross-border cooperation in Europe, including in the field of forestry.
Homepage: Interreg

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