Andrew Fernandes

The Guidance and Supervision Council (COF) of the RN21 Integrated Project, the highest body of the consortium structure, met on February 28, at Espaço Inovação Mealhada, to address several issues within the scope of the management of the Integrated Project. CoLAB ForestWISE®, the leader of this aggregating consortium, hosted the meeting in which the first ordinary session of the Advisory Board also took place. Opening the session was the Councilor of the Municipal Executive of Mealhada, Ricardo Santos, the Project Director, Rogério Rodrigues, and the CTO of CoLAB ForestWISE®, Carlos Fonseca, who reinforced the “importance of showing the good that is being done in this consortium that is essential to share with the partners who accompany us”. This was followed by the presentation of more than 20 measures, which are part of the three pillars on which the RN21 Integrated Project is based, namely: the promotion of the production of national natural resin (pillar I); strengthening the sustainability of manufacturing (pillar II); and the positive differentiation of Natural Resin and derived products (pillar III). The “Training and Professionalization of the Resin Worker” was one of the measures presented for Pillar I, which has as its main objective to develop an Academy capable of training resin extraction professionals. For Pillar II, one of the measures presented was the “Transition to renewables and efficient use of water and energy”, which aims to prepare a study and Roadmap on best practices in the sustainable use of these resources, with a view to minimizing environmental impacts. At this meeting, the status of the “Creation of a “seal” and the technical dissemination on the entire value chain”, inserted in pillar III, which arose from the need to affirm Natural Resin as a product of renewable origin, which can replace petroleum derivatives and become one of the successful examples of the Bioeconomy in Portugal. The first phase of brand creation began in the last half of 2023 and at the meeting some of the next steps under this initiative were presented. To promote natural resin to consumers and business decision-makers, communication and marketing actions have been carried out with some already evident results, namely the podcast and the biannual publication of the magazine Resinae®. Also at the meeting, the Interim Technical Monitoring Report of the RN21 | 2023, carried out by the Portuguese Environment Agency, which describes the progress achieved by the Integrated Project in terms of performance indicators – KPIs, and the work carried out in each of the measures defined in the project up to the reporting date. From the analysis carried out, it was concluded that the Project is proceeding as planned, taking into account the developments described for the 22 measures contained in the Project. The meeting was attended by the members of the Advisory Board, composed of three external personalities of recognized merit and independent, which will meet annually to comment on the activities developed, propose corrective measures and promote partnerships. The Advisory Board includes Aida Rodrigues Garcia, currently coordinator of several projects related to non-wood forest products; Álvaro Picardo, Technical Coordinator of the SMURF Horizont Europe project, on “Sustainable Management Models and Value Chains for Forests”; and Rui Miguel Rosmaninho, Director of the Department of Management of Public Forest Areas, of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, IP.

Only the union of the various agents in the country’s natural resin value chain, through a cluster, capable of having a voice with the State, promoting training and competitiveness, will guarantee the continuity of secular activities There are only about 500 resin workers left in the entire country It is necessary to unite to win. This was the main conclusion reached by many of the agents of the country’s natural resin value chain, who met on Monday at the Resin Building in Marinha Grande, where a workshop was taking place with several partners of the RN21 project. At this event, Carlos Fonseca represented ForestWISE, the collaborative laboratory that leads the RN21 consortium. The project, which has 39 partners, including academia, associations, extraction, first and second processing companies, aims to modernize and make the production of natural resin more sustainable in Portugal, covering the entire value chain, from the forest to the final consumer, counting, for this purpose, with around 17 million incentives from the RRP. Learn more here

If no changes are made in the Natural Resin sector, it runs the risk of becoming residual in the near future. Professionals believe that this is the key moment to decide whether to make a serious bet on the sector or if everything continues as it is. Professionals from the Natural Resin sector met this afternoon in a workshop of the RN21 Integrated Project, organized by CoLAB ForestWISE®, where concern for the future was expressed, and several measures to develop this area were pointed out. In the 70s, Portugal became the world’s second-largest exporter of resin. Since then, this activity has registered a drastic decline, and there are currently about 500 resin workers in the country, according to Marco Ribeiro, president of Resipinus – Association of Resin Distillers and Explorers, one of the partners of this consortium. This sector is struggling with several constraints, namely the fact that production costs are higher than revenue, the lack of forest management in the national territory, the disorderly growth of the pine forest, the average age of resin workers, which is 60 years old, and the lack of information on the number of resin hectares in Portugal. With the RN21 Integrated Project, which brings together for the first time the entire value chain of the country’s Natural Resin sector, in an integrated and mobilizing research and innovation consortium where the modernization and revitalization of one of the most traditional sectors of the national economy is promoted, the conditions are created to leverage this sector. “This is a key moment to decide what the future holds. Whether you want to bet on resin or not”, underlines Marco Ribeiro, president of Resipinus. For the president of Resipinus, the way forward involves genetic improvement, training and professionalization of the resin worker, mechanization of the activity, creation of adapted stimulating pastes, use of closed containers, remuneration of positive externalities, traceability, certification, valorization of raw material, and implementation of a joint strategy. Carlos Fonseca, Chief Technology Officer of CoLAB ForestWISE®, considers that the RN21 Integrated Project is a “unique opportunity” to make a transformation in the Natural Resin sector in Portugal. “It is intended that Natural Resin will once again play a central role in the management of the territories”, he stresses, considering it necessary “for the sector to organize itself so that at the end of this process there is a resin cluster, which represents the sector and can continue this dynamic of the RN21 consortium and enhance everything that this project brings positive to the country”. Natural Resin is used in the composition of various products, including paints, varnishes, chewing gum, hot glue, rubber, adhesive tapes, among others. Learn more here

The Guidance and Supervision Council of the RN21 Project met at the Mealhada Innovation Space The Guidance and Supervision Council (COF) of the RN21 Integrated Project, the highest body of the consortium structure, met on February 28 at Espaço Inovação Mealhada, to address various issues within the scope of the management of the Integrated Project. CoLAB ForestWISE®, the leader of this aggregating consortium, hosted the meeting in which the first ordinary session of the Advisory Board also took place.Opening the session was the Councilor of the Municipal Executive of Mealhada, Ricardo Santos, the Project Director, Rogério Rodrigues, and the CTO of CoLAB ForestWISE®, Carlos Fonseca, who reinforced the “importance of showing the good that is being done in this consortium that is essential to share with the partners who accompany us”.This was followed by the presentation of more than 20 measures, which are part of the three pillars on which the RN21 Integrated Project is based, namely: the promotion of the production of national natural resin (pillar I); strengthening the sustainability of manufacturing (pillar II); and the positive differentiation of Natural Resin and derived products (pillar III).The “Training and Professionalization of the Resin Worker” was one of the measures presented for Pillar I, which has as its main objective to develop an Academy capable oftraining resin extraction professionals.For Pillar II, one of the measures presented was the “Transition to renewables and efficient use of water and energy”, which aims to prepare a study and Roadmap on best practices in the sustainable use of these resources, with a view to minimizing environmental impacts.At this meeting, the status of the “Creation of a “seal” and the technical dissemination on the entire value chain”, inserted in pillar III, which arose from the need to affirm Natural Resin as a product of renewable origin, which can replace petroleum derivatives and become one of the successful examples of the Bioeconomy in Portugal. The first phase of brand creation began in the last half of 2023, and at the meeting, some of the next steps under this initiative were presented. To promote natural resin to consumers and business decision-makers, communication and marketing actions have been carried out with some already evident results, namely the podcast and the biannual publication of the magazine Resinae®.Also at the meeting, the Interim Technical Monitoring Report of the RN21 | 2023, carried out by the Portuguese Environment Agency,which describes the progress achieved by the Integrated Project in terms of performance indicators – KPIs, and the work carried out in each of the measures defined in the project until the reporting date. From the analysis carried out, it was concluded that the Project is proceeding as planned, taking into account the developments described for the 22 measures contained in the Project.The meeting was attended by the members of the Advisory Board, composed of three external personalities of recognized merit and independent, who will meet annually to comment on the activities developed, propose corrective measures, and promote partnerships. The Advisory Board includes Aida Rodrigues Garcia, currently coordinator of several projects related to non-wood forest products; Álvaro Picardo, Technical Coordinator of the SMURF Horizont Europe project, on “Sustainable Management Models and Value Chains for Forests”; and Rui Miguel Rosmaninho, Director of the Department of Management of Public Forest Areas, of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, IP. Learn more here

Leiria-14-March Region (1)Download Source: Jornal Região de Leiria | March 14

The Guidance and Supervision Council (COF) of the RN21 Integrated Project, the highest body of the consortium structure, met on February 28 at Espaço Inovação Mealhada, to address several issues within the scope of the management of the Integrated Project. CoLAB ForestWISE®, the leader of this aggregating consortium, hosted the meeting in which the first ordinary session of the Advisory Board also took place. Opening the session was the Councilor of the Municipal Executive of Mealhada, Ricardo Santos, the Project Director, Rogério Rodrigues, and the CTO of CoLAB ForestWISE®, Carlos Fonseca, who reinforced the “importance of showing the good that is being done in this consortium that is essential to share with the partners who accompany us”. This was followed by the presentation of more than 20 measures, which are part of the three pillars on which the RN21 Integrated Project is based, namely: the promotion of the production of national natural resin (pillar I); strengthening the sustainability of manufacturing (pillar II); and the positive differentiation of Natural Resin and derived products (pillar III). The “Training and Professionalization of the Resin Worker” was one of the measures presented for Pillar I, which has as its main objective to develop an Academy capable of training resin extraction professionals. For Pillar II, one of the measures presented was the “Transition to renewables and efficient use of water and energy”, which aims to prepare a study and Roadmap on best practices in the sustainable use of these resources, with a view to minimizing environmental impacts. At this meeting, the status of the “Creation of a “seal” and the technical dissemination on the entire value chain”, inserted in pillar III, which arose from the need to affirm Natural Resin as a product of renewable origin, which can replace petroleum derivatives and become one of the successful examples of the Bioeconomy in Portugal. The first phase of brand creation began in the last half of 2023, and at the meeting, some of the next steps under this initiative were presented. To promote natural resin to consumers and business decision-makers, communication and marketing actions have been carried out with some already evident results, namely the podcast and the biannual publication of the magazine Resinae®. Also at the meeting, the Interim Technical Monitoring Report of the RN21 | 2023, carried out by the Portuguese Environment Agency, describes the progress achieved by the Integrated Project in terms of performance indicators – KPIs, and the work carried out in each of the measures defined in the project up to the reporting date. From the analysis carried out, it was concluded that the Project is proceeding as planned, taking into account the developments described for the 22 measures contained in the Project. The meeting was attended by the members of the Advisory Board, composed of three external personalities of recognized merit and independent, who will meet annually to comment on the activities developed, propose corrective measures, and promote partnerships. The Advisory Board includes Aida Rodrigues Garcia, currently coordinator of several projects related to non-wood forest products; Álvaro Picardo, Technical Coordinator of the SMURF Horizont Europe project, on “Sustainable Management Models and Value Chains for Forests”; and Rui Miguel Rosmaninho, Director of the Department of Management of Public Forest Areas, of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, IP. Learn more here