Wood as renewable resource for timber industry and energy supply is characterised by its roots in deeply traditional structures. This means that forest property is often fragmented, coordination processes as a prerequisite for a forest management rising to the actual challenges are difficult to handle. Here, a catalytic, multi-region based communication process is helpful.

During the last 10 years, the traditional use of wood for heating has rapidly developed into a new industry. Combined heat and power (CHP) technologies undergo a substantial rise in demand. A woody biomass utilisation strategy has to improve efficiency and sustainability at different levels: e.g. wood energy conversion processes, emission control, or enhancing dendromass utilisation by new forest management methods.

The IN2WOOD partners agreed to develop regional strategies for the use of wood energy based on regional biomass action plans and specifying the following aspects:

• Education and training for the production and use of woody biomass (enhance quality and quantity) with regards to the user and customer specific demands: woodland owners, foresters and forestworkers, municipalities, plumbers / craftsmen, hotel business, industrial and commercial heating
• special interest in harvesting techniques and the preperation of woody biomass rerfering to the standards of CEN/TS 14961 as well as in the fields of biomass logistics and heating technologies
• resources efficiency in both fields: biomass production and usage of woody biomass
• database for the use of biomass in the regions
• biomass action plans for the regions
• elaboration of rules/recommendations for policy-makers
• funding schemes to implement new technologies