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Professionals from the natural resin sector met in Marinha Grande, on March 18, in a workshop of the RN21 Integrated Project, organized by CoLAB ForestWISE, where they expressed their concern about the future MARINHA GRANDE HOSTED MEETING In the 1970s, Portugal became the world’s second largest exporter of resin, but this activity has registered a drastic decline, and there are currently about 500 resin workers in the country, according to Marco Ribeiro, president of the Association of Resin Distillers and Explorers (Resipinus).Among the constraints that the sector faces is the fact that production costs are higher than revenues, along with the “lack of forest management in the national territory, the disorderly growth of the pine forest, the average age of the resin workers, which is 60 years old, and the lack of information on the number of resinhectares in Portugal”.With the RN21 Integrated Project, which brings together, for the first time, the entire value chain of the 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 the activity.“This is a key moment to decide what the future is. Whether you want to invest in resin or not”, underlined the president of Resipinus, considering that the way forward involves “genetic improvement, training and professionalization of the resin worker, mechanization of the activity, creation of adapted stimulatingpastes, use of closed containers, remuneration of positive externalities, traceability, certification, valorization of raw material, and implementation of a joint strategy”.Carlos Fonseca, from CoLAB ForestWISE, considered that the RN21 Integrated Project is a “unique opportunity” to make a transformation in the Natural Resin sector in Portugal.It should be noted that 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

Mar 8, 2024 Vila Real, March 08, 2024 – The Integrated Project [RL1] RN21 will hold a set of innovative workshops dedicated to the exploration of Natural Resin, starting with “The Natural Resin value chain: from the forest to the final consumer”, which will take place on March 18, at the Resinagem Building, in Marinha Grande. To promote dialogue and collaboration between the different stakeholders of the Natural Resin value chain, this initiative aims not only to share knowledge and experiences but also to identify joint strategies that can boost the Natural Resin industry in Portugal, promoting more sustainable and innovative practices. It is a catalyzing event for future collaborations and projects, contributing significantly to the sustainable development of the sector and to the enhancement of the pine forest, as a vital resource for the national bioeconomy. In addition to this, three more workshops will be held, each focused on different crucial aspects of this sustainable raw material and its industrial applications. This cycle of workshops aims to foster an open debate on the various perspectives of the natural resin value chain, from production to the final application of derived products. The second workshop, “The versatility of Natural Resin and its derivatives”, will take place at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, in Vila Real, and will focus on the quality criteria of Natural Resin and its impact on multiple industrial applications. This is followed by the third workshop on \”The certification of Natural Resin\”, to be held at the Exploratory/Science Museum, in Coimbra. This meeting will be dedicated to discussing the procedures and criteria necessary for the certification of products derived from Natural Resin. Finally, “Natural Resin: Challenges and Future Perspectives – New Markets” will mark the closing of this series at the Forest Museum in Proença-a-Nova, where the challenges and future perspectives of the industry will be addressed, with a special focus on new markets and technological innovations. Each of these workshops has been carefully planned to contribute to a deeper understanding of Natural Resin and its entire value chain, highlighting its crucial role in environmental sustainability and economic development. With this initiative, the RN21 Integrated Project reinforces its commitment to promoting the transition to greener and more sustainable practices, opening new paths for the bioeconomy and innovation in the sector. Led by the ForestWISE CoLAB®, RN21 brings together for the first time, the entire value chain of the Natural Resin sector in Portugal, 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, valuing Natural Resin as a “bio” product and enhancing the great possibilities of its application in the market. With an investment of more than 26 million euros and a grant of 17 and a half million euros, the project integrates 37 entities, combining public and private investments, creating favorable conditions for collaboration between companies and R&D&I partners, and leveraging the ecological and digital transition. Program: MARCH 18 Resin Building – Marinha Grande 2:00 p.m. – Reception of guests 2:30 p.m. – Opening session 14:45 – The sustainability of the resin sector in Portugal today Marco Ribeiro, RESIPINUS 3:15 p.m. – Pine Resin: from the Forest to the World João Serrano, PinoPine 3:45 p.m. – Coffee break 4:00 p.m. – Round Table | Opportunities and challenges of the Natural Resin sector Moderator: CoLAB ForestWISE® – Carlos Fonseca   . KEMI – Pine Rosins – Firmino Rocha . University of Aveiro – Armando Silvestre . Intermunicipal Community of Leiria – Paulo Santos 5:00 p.m. – Closing Aurélio Ferreira, Mayor of Marinha Grande About ForestWISE CoLAB® The CoLAB ForestWISE® – Collaborative Laboratory for Integrated Forest and Fire Management is a private, non-profit association with legal personality. It aims to promote the integrated management of forest and fire through (co)research, innovation and knowledge and technology transfer activities with a view to contributing to a more sustainable forest management in Portugal, the valorization of forest products and services, the reduction of the negative consequences of large rural fires, the increase in the competitiveness of the Portuguese forestry sector, the promotion of sustainable development in low-density territories and the promotion of scientific employment. The ForestWISE CoLAB acts as a unifying element between industry, academia, and public administration, leveraging the existing knowledge in the knowledge centers and applying it to solve concrete, current, and emerging problems of companies and the fields of forest and fire, meeting the great societal challenges. www.forestwise.pt    About RN21: The RN21 Project – Innovation in the Natural Resin Sector to strengthen the National Bioeconomy is supported by Component 12 – Sustainable Bioeconomy of the Recovery and Resilience Plan and aims to support the modernization and consolidation of the industry through the creation of new value chains and greener industrial processes in the Natural Resin sector in Portugal, accelerating the production of high value-added products from biological resources as an alternative to fossil-based materials. The RN21 Integrated Project – Innovation in the Natural Resin Sector to Strengthen the National Bioeconomy, is co-financed by the Environmental Fund through Component 12 – Promotion of Sustainable Bioeconomy (Investment TC-C12-i01 – Sustainable Bioeconomy No. 02/C12- i01/202), of the European funds allocated to Portugal by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) of the European Union (EU), within the framework of Next Generation EU, for the period 2021 – 2026.

If no changes are made in the Natural Resin sector, it risks becoming residual in the near future. Professionals believe that this is a key moment to decide whether to make a serious investment in the sector or to continue as things are. Professionals from the Natural Resin sector met this afternoon in a workshop of the RN21 Integrated Project, organized by CoLAB ForestWISE®, where concerns about the future were expressed, and several measures were suggested to develop this area. In the 1970s, Portugal became the second-largest resin exporter in the world. Since then, this activity has experienced a drastic decline, with currently around 500 resin workers in the country, according to Marco Ribeiro, president of Resipinus – Association of Distillers and Resin Explorers, one of the partners of this consortium. This sector faces several constraints, namely the fact that production costs are higher than revenue, the lack of forest management in the national territory, the uncontrolled growth of pine forests, the average age of resin workers being around 60 years, and the lack of information on the number of resinable 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 research-driven consortium promoting innovation, the conditions are created to boost this sector by modernizing and revitalizing one of the most traditional areas of the national economy. “This is a key moment to decide the future. Whether we want to invest in resin extraction or not,” emphasizes Marco Ribeiro, president of Resipinus. According to the president of Resipinus, the way forward involves genetic improvement, training and professionalization of resin workers, mechanization of the activity, creation of adapted stimulant pastes, use of closed containers, remuneration for positive externalities, traceability, certification, valorization of the raw material, and implementation of a joint strategy. Carlos Fonseca, Chief Technology Officer of CoLAB ForestWISE®, considers the RN21 Integrated Project a “unique opportunity” to transform the Natural Resin sector in Portugal. “The aim is for Natural Resin to regain a central role in land management,” he emphasizes, considering it necessary “for the sector to organize so that, at the end of this process, a resin cluster exists, representing the sector and ensuring the continuity of the RN21 consortium’s momentum, maximizing everything this project brings positively to the country.” Natural Resin is used in the composition of several products, including paints, varnishes, chewing gum, hot glue, rubber, adhesive tapes, among others.