Forest Sciences Centre of Catalonia (CTFC)

The Forest Sciences Centre of Catalonia Consortium (CTFC), based inSolsona (Lleida), was formed initially between the County Council of Solsonès and the University of Lleida, and later the Provincial Council of Lleida, the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation, the Government of Catalonia and the Autonomous University of Barcelona were incorporated. The Forest Sciences Centre of Catalonia Consortium is appointed to the Administration of the Government of Catalonia and interacts with it by the relevant Department in the field of forests. It also belongs to the CERCA network of Catalan research centers. The mission of CTFC is to contribute to the modernisation and competitiveness of the forest sector, to rural development and to the sustainable management of natural habitats, through research, transfer of knowledge and technology to society and with the aim of becoming a reference centre at national and international level. They contribute to the modernization and competitiveness of the forest sector, the rural development and the sustainable management of the environment. To achieve this, they are organized on three programs: multifunctional forest management, landscape dynamics and biodiversity, and governance and bioeconomy. The research carried out within these programs is focused on key aspects such as the balance of the environmental functions, the adaptation to the climate change and the competitiveness along the value chains. The activity carried out in the programs is transferred by the company FBS. Multifunctional forest management: They consider the multifunctional forest management based on knowledge and the development of tools to ensure the ecological and socioeconomic values of forest ecosystems and the sustainable provision of goods and services. They study the dynamics of forest areas to promote an adaptive forestry. Research and innovation in multifunctional forest planning at different levels and the development of support tools for decision-making, are key aspects in this sense. They also investigate the fire-forest managementrelationship and the prevention of wild forest fires. Landscape dynamics and biodiversity:   The landscape resulting from the relationship between ecosystems and society is the study focus of this program. The analysis of different changing factors and impacts on natural values and goods and services provided by the ecosystems, is essential to ensure its future provision.  The landscape ecology and biodiversity, the soil sciences, the silvopastoral management, the analysis of forest fires and other disturbances, and mosaic landscapes (agro-forestry systems or transitions between urban-suburban-rural areas) are target aspects of their projects.   Bioeconomy and governance:   The study and the promotion of bioeconomy are closely linked to the research, the innovation and competitiveness along value chains, the mitigation of the climate change and the economic and social development in rural areas.    Demand and markets around emerging products require the establishment of new processes and biobased products (cross-laminated wood, local circuits for biomass, etc.) to fit the bioeconomy within the circular economy, together with the study and the promotion of new policies and thegovernance.   FBS / Transfer:   The activity carried out is transferred by the company FBS, commissioned to valorize the knowledge of the CTFC and transfer it to the market in the form of new products and/or quality services related to the expertise of the scientific-technical teams from the institution.