RESEARCH PROGRAMME 2:
MARKETS AND SOCIO-ECONOMICS

Acting Head of Programme: Ilpo Tikkanen

The following research directions identified in the current EFI Strategy are addressed in this Programme:

  • Foresight studies on future conditions of forest-based well-being in Europe
  • Supply, demand, trade and value chains of timber and other forest products and services
  • Competitiveness of forest resources for energy and material products in relation to other natural resources


The programme is active in the area of developing a global forest sector market and trade model EFI-GTM jointly with University of Life Sciences, Norway and Finnish Forest Research Institute, Finland. The model is currently being used in several EU-level projects analyzing impacts of various policy changes on international forest products markets.

Other current topics include studying competitiveness and sources of competitive advantage of forest industry enterprises, both large multinational companies and small and medium sized companies in the European woodworking industry.

Examples of current or recently completed projects:

Towards Progressive Forest Sector in Northwest Russia. The project uses EFISCEN scenario modelling approach in analyzing possible long-term development of forest resources and wood supply in Northwest Russia. The project is co-ordinated by the Finnish Forest Research Institute. See the project homepage here.

Estimating Economic and Technical Availability of Wood for Energy Production in Northwest Russia. The study financed by PONSSE foundation estimates economic and technical availability of wood for energy production in Northwest Russia.

For more projects under Markets and Socio-Economics Programme, see Project Database

For staff in the Markets and Socio-Economics Programme, see Staff pages