The European FOREST Partnership officially launches today in Helsinki, Finland, bringing together more then 100 participants, to strengthen research and innovation for Europe’s forests, forestry and forest-based sector. Coordinated by Finland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the ten-year partnership is supported by Horizon Europe and aims to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable forest-based circular bioeconomy.
With a total budget of approximately EUR 233 million, including EUR 70 million in European Union support, the Partnership will foster cross-border cooperation and coordinate research and innovation activities to address shared challenges facing Europe’s forests and forest-based value chains.
The FOREST Partnership aims to mobilise research and innovation to:
- strengthen forest resilience and adaptation to climate change
- promote biodiversity, soil fertility and sustainable, multifunctional forest management
- accelerate the development of sustainable, resource-efficient and circular forest-based value chains
- improve coordination of national and regional research and innovation programmes across Europe.
By bringing together research funding organisations, public authorities and research organisations, the Partnership will help align research priorities, reduce fragmentation and support the development and uptake of innovative solutions across the forest-based sector.
Over the next ten years, the Partnership will launch transnational joint calls for research and innovation projects, alongside additional activities to encourage knowledge exchange, stakeholder collaboration and the practical application of research results.
The initiative will contribute to the objectives of Horizon Europe, the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 and the EU’s broader ambitions for climate neutrality, biodiversity protection and a competitive, sustainable circular bioeconomy.
The launch event, taking place in Helsinki on 13–14 October 2026, brings together representatives of the European Commission, national authorities, researchers, industry, forest practitioners and other stakeholders to mark the beginning of this European collaboration and discuss priorities for its implementation.