Place: Oscarsborg hotel &resort
Time: Wednesday, 25th of May (21:30-22:30)
Participants: Camilla Widmark (SE), Peichen Gong (SE), Katja Lähtinen (FI), Teppo Hujala (FI), Bo Jellesmark-Thorsen (DK), Hans Fredrik Hoen (NO)
Minutes taken by: Hans Fredrik Hoen
1. Topics for Ph.D.-courses to come (cooperation with EFINORD)
EFINORD had asked for a discussion with the SSFE Board to get ideas and proposals on topics and thematic orientation for a Ph.D.-course in 2017. EFINORD intend to develop an application and send it to the NOVA-call with deadline in October 2016.
Different ideas were discussed. The board agreed on two topics:
i. Services – the role and nature of services in the forest-based sector
ii. Forest policy – methods and theory for forest policy research as well as current and advancing topics within forest policy in a Nordic and European context
EFINORD will receive a copy of these minutes. In addition, Peichen Gong will communicate directly to EFINORD and Göran Bostedt who is in charge of writing the application.
2. NOFOBE SNS-CAR
a. Possible workshop during the fall of 2016
The board agreed upon arranging a meeting in the NOFOBE-project in the second half of the fall 2016. The objective of the meeting will be to develop a concrete schedule for the project in the years 2017 – 2020. The meeting will thus mainly have an administrative and planning character.
Bo Jellesmark Thorsen proposed that we should make an inventory of upcoming events for the project period, which may be relevant for the NOFOBE-project. Such a list should be prepared well in advance of the NOFOBE-meeting mentioned above (late fall 2016).
Bo will take a first step and distribute an email in order to collect this information.
b. Proposals for thematic orientations 2017-2020 of NOFOBE forest-based bioeconomy week (FBBW)
EFI had sent the following suggestions for the FBBW topics:
- The impacts of the changing international operating environment on the Nordic forest-based bioeconomy
- Competitiveness of the forest-based bioeconomy
- New forest-based products and services
- Sustainability of the Nordic forest-based bioeconomy
These and some other ideas were discussed.
Hans Fredrik will send out a (new) request to the participants in NOFOBE and ask for proposals and input. Based on this a proposal will be prepared for the next NOFOBE-meeting.
c. Short-term scientific missions
The board agreed that we should announce this as a NOFOBE-activity. The proposed template for applications will be used. Applications will be evaluated administratively by the NOFOBE project-leader as they are received. If necessary the project-leader will consult the other project-partners before a final granting-decision is made.
d. Other
The board agreed that the NOFOBE-project gives SSFE a good opportunity to strengthen and enhance the networking and cooperation in the years to come.
3. SSFE web-page – new hosting institution
Metla has hosted the “SSFE-webpage” for several years. After the reorganization and merger, it has been clarified that LUKE (Natural Resources Institute Finland) is not in position to continue this service. Teppo Hujala had checked on alternatives. The Board decided that the best solution would be to establish an independent SSFE-webpage with its own unique address.
Teppo Hujala together with Jussi Leppänen will follow up and take the next practical steps. They will inform and consult the board when necessary.
4. Proceedings from SSFE 2016
This will be followed up as normally done after a SSFE Biennial meeting. All presenters will be invited to submit a manuscript/paper to be part of the next volume in the series Scandinavian Forest Economics (SFE Vol. 46). Hans Fredrik takes responsibility. Deadline for submitting manuscripts will be September 1st 2016.
5. Update on members of board and SSFE 2018
The new SSFE-board 2017-2018:
- Denmark: Bo Jellesmark Thorsen, chair (deputy: Tove Enggrob Boon)
- Finland: Teppo Hujala (deputy: Katja Lähtinen)
- Norway: Hans Fredrik Hoen (deputy: Even Bergseng)
- Sweden: Camilla Widmark (deputy: Peichen Gong)
The composition of the SSFE-board and the next Biennial meeting in 2018 were discussed. Denmark takes responsibility for arranging SSFE 2018.
6. Any other business
Peichen Gong asked if SSFE was interested in preparing a Special Issue (SI) for the Journal of Forest Economics, based on selected presentations/manuscripts from the Biennial meeting 2016. The Board found this as an interesting proposal. A possible topic or thematic orientation of such a SI could be the Bioeconomy. The idea was announced during the plenary session on the last day of SSFE 2016, Friday 27th of May and received good response among the participants. SSFE will thus invite presenters at SSFE 2016 to indicate interest in this, when we inform about deadlines and process for the preparation of the SFE Vol. 46 (proceedings).