The centre of excellence Trees For Me, focused on fast-growing broadleaves, is receiving an additional 43,3 million kronor from the Swedish Energy Agency. This brings the total funding from various partners to a quarter of a billion kronor over ten years – Sweden's largest ever investment in broadleaf tree research.
Trees For Me is being extended as the Swedish Energy Agency has granted an additional 43,3 million kronor for research and collaboration focusing on fast-growing broadleaf trees as a complement in Swedish forestry. Together with other funding from partners, this means that the largest investment in broadleaf tree research ever in Sweden will continue for another five years.
“It has been increasingly difficult to find funding for applied research with immediate importance to forestry's transition due to climate change, where fast-growing broadleaves, and especially improved birch, have a role to play in supplementing damaged pine and spruce. We are therefore very pleased that the Swedish Energy Agency is filling that gap”, says Urban Nilsson, professor of silviculture at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and director of Trees For Me.
The additional funding comes from partners in academia and the forest and energy sectors, resulting in a total ten-year investment of a quarter of a billion kronor on research on broadleaf trees, with a main focus on improved birch.
Increased research on silviculture, browsing and forest damage
The centre of excellence Trees For Me educates, conducts research and collaborates in the areas of tree breeding, silviculture, material and energy, societal transitions and environmental impacts.
During the coming period, Trees For Me will, in addition to further developing ongoing research, increase the research focus on silviculture, browsing, forest damage caused by, for example, climate change, strengthen research in policy and governance - from local to EU level, and broaden the focus on processes for converting broadleaf raw materials to energy and materials.
“We now look forward to starting the recruitment of new PhD students and researchers who can further develop the research and contribute to spreading knowledge to officials, politicians and practitioners”, Urban Nilsson emphasizes.