Assessment of the Development of Forest-Based Bioeconomy in European Regions

Leire Barañano, Olatz Unamunzaga, Naroa Garbisu, Siebe Briers, Timokleia Orfanidou, Blasius Schmid, Inazio Martínez de Arano, Andrés Araujo and Carlos Garbisu
Additional contact information
Leire Barañano: NEIKER—Basque Institute of Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia P812, 48160 Derio, Spain
Olatz Unamunzaga: NEIKER—Basque Institute of Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia P812, 48160 Derio, Spain
Naroa Garbisu: Faculty of Economics and Business (Sarriko), University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48015 Bilbao, Spain
Siebe Briers: European Forest Institute—Mediterranean Facility (EFIMED), St. Antoni Maria Claret 167, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Timokleia Orfanidou: Bioeconomy Programme, European Forest Institute, Yliopistokatu 6B, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland
Blasius Schmid: Association of the Austrian Wood Industries, Schwarzenbergplatz 4, 1030 Wien, Austria
Inazio Martínez de Arano: European Forest Institute—Mediterranean Facility (EFIMED), St. Antoni Maria Claret 167, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Andrés Araujo: Department of Management and Business Economics, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48015 Bilbao, Spain
Carlos Garbisu: NEIKER—Basque Institute of Agricultural Research and Development, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Bizkaia P812, 48160 Derio, Spain

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: In recent years, the potential of the forest-based bioeconomy to provide competitiveness, differentiation, and sustainability to the European economy has often been claimed. Interestingly, regions, as territorial units with their own political and socioeconomic strategies, have been highlighted as the most suitable targets for the development of the European forest-based bioeconomy. Here, using the case method, we evaluated the development of the forest-based bioeconomy in three European regions (i.e., North Karelia in Finland, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, the Basque Country in Spain), by appraising the status of 10 previously identified key drivers through primary (interviews with experts) and secondary (literature review) sources of information. In our analysis, North Karelia and the Basque Country obtained the highest and lowest score, respectively, with regard to forest-based bioeconomy development. In any case, for the successful development of the forest-based bioeconomy in a European region, it is essential to accept the unnegotiable, critically, of the long-term sustainability of forest bioresources and production processes, as well as the need to foster the required changes in consumption patterns.

Keywords: bio-based economy; forestry sector; North Karelia; North Rhine-Westphalia; Basque Country (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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