Advantage Hardwood

1. The need for converting agriculture and forestry to fit the enlarged European Union. 2. The increasing need for joint environmental actions to achieve sustainable development. 3. The risk of decline in rural areas. 4. The lack of efficient market strategies for the BSR hardwood industry and 5. the need for efficient competence exchange and co-operation on regional level between member states and candidate countries. A transnational and cross-sector (forest sector + regional administration) partnership involving men and women from Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia has been set up. External partners (hardwood development institutes + industry) will complete the partnership. By using two common assets in the project regions, the deciduous forests and the hardwood industry, Advantage Hardwood will contribute to increased problem solving capacity and service level at the organisations involved and to increased competitiveness in hardwood business in comparison with non-European producers. The long-term effects deal with sustainability: a) The green theme will visualize the environmental benefits while giving priority to deciduous trees and hardwood; b) The rural development actors will get access to and benefit from the findings of pilot projects run in other BSR regions; c) The networking in category-wise and/or cross-sector groups will emphasize how to implement lasting collaboration in regional spatial planning based on ESDP, as well as in business; d) The established forest paths will serve as educational tools (Outdoor Education) for generations of teachers and pupils. Advantage Hardwood is characterized by learning from practice. Mapping and analysis of current conditions as regards regional/rural development including spatial planning will result in reports on best practice and in curricula for training courses for forest owners and staff + management and staff in hardwood companies. Training of trainers and teachers will be performed as such activities will facilitate for the regions to give training opportunities after the project period. Pilot projects in transnational and regional contexts (regional development as well as business development) will give further experience on the cross-sector planning model to be developed and result in ideas for research projects.