The Austrian Wood Initiative - a flagship of the bioeconomy
Bioeconomy is the key to replacing fossil raw materials with renewable resources. Thanks to the domestic forest sector, Austria is perfectly equipped with renewable resources. The Wood Initiative of the Ministry of Forestry is therefore one of the eight flagships of the Austrian Bioeconomy Strategy.
Austrian Wood Initiative
Using wood for the purposes of the bioeconomy is an active contribution to climate protection and decarbonisation. The initiative is financed from the Forest Fund and encompasses a wide range of measures that use the renewable raw material wood efficiently and innovatively as a material, especially as a building material, and as a source of energy.
A total of more than 93 million euros is available from the Austrian Forest Fund for measures linked to the material and energetic use of wood.
Federal Minister Norbert Totschnig is convinced of the potential of the bioeconomy in Austria's forests: "Austria is a model pupil when it comes to sustainable forest management. With innovations from the bioeconomy, we provide impetus for the sustainable use of wood from our forests. This is why we have the Wood Initiative, with which we promote innovation and new products. Wood is the material of the future. A total of around 93 million euros is available for the material and energetic use of wood."
Objectives of the Wood Initiative
The Austrian Wood Initiative provides additional impetus for innovations in the forestry sector and in the wood-based industry. It also promotes new products in line with the principles of the bioeconomy and the circular economy and advances technical solutions. Processes or services should make a significant contribution to the resource and energy transition while at the same time increasing the competitiveness of domestic businesses and securing jobs in the regions.