On October 24-25, 2023, delegates from Italy, Ireland, Spain, and Hungary paid a visit to the Vidzeme planning region in Latvia. The purpose of their visit was to engage in knowledge-sharing and collaborative discussions concerning waste management practices related to wood processing and agricultural operations within the framework of the circular economy. As well as productive work sessions, the project collaborators also had the opportunity to tour ZAAO Ltd., a waste management company, and the Institute for Environmental Solutions, a research and innovation organization located within the Vidzeme region.
During the implementation of the project, each of the five countries must identify at least three successful good practices that would not only help the domestic forestry and agricultural sectors to develop but would also be transferred to other countries, helping both sectors to adapt to the goals set by the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Strategy of the European Union.
After listening to the experiences of the partners, several initiatives stand out. Thus, for example, in Ireland, the CIRCULÉIRE platform is the first innovation cross-sectoral cooperation network, which is a support program created jointly by the private-public sector to promote the acceleration of the circular economy in the manufacturing sector. CIRCULÉIRE creates innovative solutions in the agri-food, pharmaceutical, recycling, and ICT sectors and others. CIRCULÉIRE works with a wide range of stakeholders from the Irish innovation ecosystem. One challenge addressed through the platform is using waste to create new businesses.
Another valuable good practice presented by colleagues from Ireland demonstrated the utility and usability of digital tools in agriculture. Grass measurement tool PastureBase Ireland has been recognised as an excellent digital assistant for Irish dairy and beef cattle and sheep farmers in managing grass as a feed resource. Since grass is the cheapest type of feed, it is essential to know how to use it to its full potential. The web-based tool helps to make appropriate decisions by accurately predicting the expected yield. In addition, studies show that farms that use the program's services in their daily work are much more successful in regrowing grass in the paddocks and can provide the herds with it more fully.
Project partners from Hungary focused on good practices in forestry and woodworking. The company Falco Zrt. is an excellent example of shortening supply chains in the wood industry sector. Falco is one of the leading producers of wood-based panels - the product is produced from wood waste derived from sawmills and other low-quality wood residues, small logs and recycled wood parts. These resources have developed the company's operations by adding technically advanced engineering products to the product range.
Inguna Kucina, the project manager at Vidzeme Planning Region, introduced the activities of the Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Institute (MeKA), which competently and responsibly solves the issues of development of forest and wood products and improvement of professional education in Latvia. The institute was founded in 2004 by the Latvian University of Biosciences and Technologies (previously known as Latvian Agricultural University), the Joint Stock Company “Latvia’s State Forests” and the Latvian Wood Industry Federation to unite the forces of the university and industry entrepreneurs to increase the competitiveness of the forest industry in the Baltics. The institute provides testing services, conducts scientific research, and organises informal education programs of various levels - seminars and training courses for different target groups (managers of woodworking companies, employees, industry specialists, and representatives of related industries). This was chosen as a successful example of Latvia, showing how a company can develop the industry by focusing its operations.
Within the framework of the project, it is planned to improve various policy documents at the regional and national levels. In the Vidzeme planning region, it is intended to enhance the Development Planning Program 2022-2027 to strengthen the principles of the circular economy in business in the agricultural and forestry sectors in Vidzeme. The focus will be on the full use of the potential of the waste generated in these sectors to create new business products.
About the project: https://www.interregeurope.eu/3f-green-model
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