On October 13, a workshop titled “The challenges and needs of forest stakeholders in Portugal” took place, bringing together a group of experts and professionals to discuss crucial issues involving the forest sector in Portugal. This event was organized by a team composed of Bruna Oliveira, Researcher at CESAM/DAO and Coordinator of the ModelEco project, Helena Vieira, Researcher Coordinator at CESAM/DAO and ERA Chair Holder of the BESIDE project, and Sofia Corticeiro, Junior Researcher at CESAM/DAO and Coordinator of the FireProd project.
The workshop was organized in a practical working meeting format, with a focus on two main objectives: identifying challenges, information needs, and data needs in the forestry sector and fostering closer collaboration between academia and stakeholders in the value chain of this sector.
During the event, interactive group exercises were conducted, and representatives from various entities in the forestry sector identified over 110 challenges and information and scientific data needs. The CESAM teams will now delve into this information and develop proposals for solutions/projects to address them, culminating in the production of a report and an executive summary that will be presented to the participants in a second session on February 22, 2024. This initiative also fostered a closer relationship between academics at the University of Aveiro working on diverse topics such as Socioeconomic Sciences and Environmental Sciences, who can provide support for the challenges and decision-making processes, and the invited entities representing the entire value chain and the different types of stakeholders involved in the forest management and exploitation value chain in Portugal.
In addition to the working sessions, the workshop provided a moment for spontaneous and informal networking and sharing during the lunch held at the University of Aveiro’s restaurant. Participants had the opportunity to exchange ideas and strengthen professional connections.
This event once again demonstrated the commitment of our researchers to address the challenges of forest management in Portugal and promote effective collaboration between academics and stakeholders in the sector. The expectation is that the results of this workshop will help guide future actions in Portugal’s forestry sector and strengthen the connection between CESAM and the University and the forest sector in Portugal.
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