Inno4Tree: Addressing climate change with innovation in the forest-based industry

Arbeidsnotat

This working paper summarises the main results of the research project “Addressing climate change with innovation in the forest-based industry – Inno4Tree”. The project was funded by the Research Council of Norway and started in October 2021, ending in February 2025. Here we present the main insights published in separate reports, policy briefs and scientific papers that are either already published or are under review.

The Inno4Tree project had the overall objective of facilitating a sustainable transition of the construction industry to the circular bioeconomy, by substituting concrete and steel with wooden construction material wherever possible and to support the reuse and recapture of wooden construction materials.

Theoretical perspectives
The project combines three theoretical perspectives on innovation systems and sustainability transitions:
1. Corporate governance and firm strategy in forest-based value chains with a focus on board interlocks
2. Competence through learning and education with a focus on competence needs and competence providers
3. Intermediary organisations with a focus on new sustainable pathways in wooden construction

Methodologies applied
Inno4Tree applied an interdisciplinary approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods for analysing the importance of corporate governance, competence and education and the role of intermediary organisations in the wood-based construction industry. We combined qualitative methods based on interviews, case studies, analysis of media data and policy documents with quantitative methods based on the usage of register data and social network analysis of press media data.
We also organised and held a future-oriented workshop with students based on the Future Literacy Laboratory methodology. The workshop aimed at identi-fying possible opportunities and challenges for the Norwegian forest-based in-dustry and innovation policy-making in the context of climate change.

Stakeholder involvement
The involvement of two cluster organisations – the Norwegian Wood Cluster and WoodWorks! Cluster – was central throughout the project. Not only did we interact with them to reach the appropriate informants and case studies, but also to discuss preliminary findings through workshops and seminars. This allowed them to provide continuous feedback on our findings and to help disseminate our results through policy briefs, webinars and other outreach activities.

Inno4tree – Inno4tree website