A sustainable and circular development of the wood sector in Wallonia, Southern Belgium

In the framework of its strategy for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth, the European Commission has introduced the concept of Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) with the objective to enable Members States to adopt new regional strategies for scientific research and industrial innovation. The Walloon
Government adapted its Strategy S3, for the period 2021-2027. Its objective is creating new and robust ecosystems of innovative "academic and industrial research" around five main strategic areas, amongst others circular materials. Wood can be a circular material, and within this framework, the initiative “VALorisation du BOis en WALlonie - VALBOWAL”, leaded by the University of Liège and supported by other Walloon Universities and organizations/companies, has been accepted with the goal to support Walloon circular economy development while diversifying the Walloon forests, strengthening their resilience to climate change and increasing their carbon storage, whilst stimulating the local economic development of the wood sector, and optimizing the carbon storage in wood products. Three research axes, completed by a transversal axis focusing on professional training and wood promotion, have been proposed, to encourage fundamental developments in three major fields.