System innovations for fast growing broadleaves in Sweden

Drawing from the field of system innovation and applying the theoretical lenses of Multi-level perspective, the project will examine the potential for system innovations to promote fast growing broadleaves in Sweden. Special attention will be given to innovations incited at the niche level, such as social networks or institutional arrangements to promote alternative silvicultural regimes; or favouring fast growing broadleaves in forest regeneration and silvicultural treatments by private forest owners.

When analysing the socio-technical context, the current forest policy instrumentation to promote broadleaves and more specifically fast growing broadleaves will be studied. Based on documentary analyses and qualitative interviews, the project will investigate the following research questions.

1. What are the key hinders and drivers for the innovations? What are the bearing trends in the socio-technical context?
2. Who are the innovators, what are their rationales? What makes their innovations more or less successful?
3. What is the current mix of forest policy instruments, how conducive is it for promoting (fast growing) broadleaves? What could be a potent ”re-mix” of the instruments?

The study of prerequisites for fast growing broadleaves-based innovations and explicit focus on the pioneering niche actors will expose knowledge areas, institutional arrangements and policy instruments that are most conducive to achieve tangible changes within the thematic realm of Trees For Me.