Research projects 14

Decision Support for the Supply of Ecosystem Services under Global Change (DecisionES) is a Marie Curie Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Framework Programme (2021-2025). Pressures on forest ecosystems are very likely to increase as a consequence of socioeconomic and demographic trends. A growing population will demand more products (e.g., wood) to be extracted from forest ecosystems. At the same time, these harvesting activities and their interactions with global change drivers will impact the sustainability of the supply of a wider range of non-provisioning services (e.g., wildfire protection, water, and biodiversity). The integrity of ecosystems must be safeguarded when developing harvesting activities, and yet this is further complicated by the occurrence of natural disturbances such as wildfires and droughts, etc. New decision support approaches are needed that can cope with this challenge. European and the American experiences with the development and application of decision support approaches for the provision of ecosystem services (ESs), offer a solid base for continued improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of forest management in the context of global change (e.g., responding to changes in demographics, socioeconomics, and climatic conditions). This provided the rationale for a project that will help to strengthen research collaboration through active networking and staff exchange between 8 European organizations and 10 American organizations that are leaders in these fields. This project will build from the top-level multidisciplinary expertise (wildfire ecology and management, wildfire behaviour simulation, hydrology, process-based modelling, biodiversity, wildlife management, ecology, water services, operations research, management science, stakeholder engagement, forest ecosystem management planning methods, supply chain management methods and decision support systems) in these organizations to address the integration of operational, tactical and strategic forest ecosystem management planning levels and potentiate the supply of ecosystem services at various spatial and temporal scales.

Team

Jordi García-Gozalo

The project seeks to increase Mozambican research capacity on forestry, sustainable natural resource and land-use planning considering different aspects of impacts (ecological, social and economic). In addition to joint teaching activities, it includes collaborative research on environmental and socio-economic aspects of forestry and natural resources management. The fieldwork activities take place in Manica and Zambézia Provinces.

Team

Almeida Sitoe, Valério Macandza, Ana Monteiro, Luis Cristovão, Elisa Vallius, Anssi Lensu, Irmeli Mustalahti

LEAP-Agri is a joint Europe Africa Research and Innovation (R&I) initiative related to Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA). 30 partners, including 24 Ministries and Funding Agencies (Group of Funders) from 18 European and African countries decide to join their forces and funding to build an ERA-Net Cofund project with a financial support of the European Commission. The project has two pillars, (i) funding R&I projects on FNSSA, and (ii) Feeding the long-term EU- AU partnership on FNSSA.

Team

Melissa Plath

The overall objective of the SuFoRUn project is to develop new models, methods and decision systems that may effectively integrate currently fragmented multidisciplinary knowledge to support forest management and policy development in a context of global change. The European and the American experiences with the development/application of models and tools to support forest management and develop innovative forest policies provide a solid base for continuous improvement of its efficiency and effectiveness in a context of global change (e.g. changes in forest policies, changes in forest owner structures, changes in climatic conditions).

Team

Heli Peltola, Timo Pukkala, Dr Jordi Garcia-Gonzalo ( Centre Tecnologic Forestal de Catalunya CTFC).

  • Head of research Lindström, Kristina
  • Language n/a

The overall aim of the project is to improve productivity, livelihoods, nutrition and household wellbeing in Ghana and Uganda, while counteracting environmental degradation and mineral depletion caused by monocultures. The study will address both the individual farm level and the rural community level. Introducing the use of biofertilizers through a participatory process can highlight the potential of location-based resources, and empower the community more widely.

Team

Sumelius John (Project manager, Lindström Kristina (Principal investigator), Benjamin Ahiabor, John Baptist Tumuhairwe, Åsa Frostegård, Aserse Aregu (Participant), Vihinen Hilkka (Project manager), Sell Mila (Project manager), Sipiläinen Timo (Participant), Bäckman, Stefan, (Participant) Rosengren, Linda (Other)

SCALA is a project implemented by a cooperation of Finnish companies and Brazilian players towards the following end goals: 1. Develop scarce innovation skills and research into emerging markets 2. Study mobile learning in the Brazilian context 3. Pilot and develop the contents of mobile learning in basic education, university and vocational training in Brazil 4. create a market strategy for mobile learning products on the scalable market in Brazil including buyer profiles and purchase and decision processes.

Team

Annica Isacsson

Visual exploration of data enables users and analysts observe interesting patterns that can trigger new research for further investigation. With the increasing availability of Linked Data, facilitating support for making sense of the data via visual exploration tools for hypothesis generation is critical. Time and space play important roles in this because of their ability to illustrate dynamicity, from a spatial context. Yet, Linked Data visualization approaches typically have not made efficient use of time and space together, apart from typical rather static multivisualization approaches and mashups. We developed ELBAR explorer that visualizes a vast amount of scientific observational data about the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. The core contribution is a novel mechanism for animating between the different observed values, thus illustrating the observed changes themselves.

Team

Tomi Kauppinen, Suvodeep Mazumdar

  • Head of research Coordinator: Liceth Rebolledo
  • Language n/a

A thorough approach to nanotechnology and advance materials development must take into consideration the international dimension, in terms of R&D, access to information and regulation. International cooperation,including collaboration in research but not limited to this, is an integral part of the Commission’s policy in all areas of the Action Plan. However, despite the fact that international collaboration has been made so far; there is still a challenge of filling knowledge gaps with less industrially advanced nations in order to enhance quality of life and industrial competitiveness in those areas where Nanotechnology has the potential. European industrial players and research organizations seek new collaborative agreements in order to share risks and explore new market opportunities. On the other hand, Latin America has started new nanotechnology development programs in the last ten years. However, according to national agencies, the investment in nanotechnology R+D and the results achieved remains now relatively unpretentious.

Team

From VTT: Maria Lima Toivanen, Kaisu Loikkanen, Mona Arnold, Luiz Carlos Perez, Maria Mäntylä, Heidi Auvinen

  • Head of research Jyrki Luukkanen
  • Language n/a

Access to Sustainable Energy for All project was implemented by a consortium of seven organizations and research centres in nine countries across Europe. Between 2011 and 2014 the FFRC research team conducted case studies in Finland, the Mekong region and Cuba in order to examine the drivers of energy futures in the target countries and the alternatives that are needed to make them equitable and sustainable. The question of how to provide clean, accessible and affordable energy for all is far from straightforward. Especially those in poorer countries across the Global South lack opportunities to benefit from such luxury. The project aimed at enhancing local understanding and raise awareness among the European public about the importance of ensuring such energy sources, and also about the role of EU financing policies concerning this issue. On FFRC’s part, the project included a capacity building component to enhance local abilities, and also produced two reports about the matter to stimulate public debate and instigate initiatives to promote a shift in policies and practices.

Team

Jyrki Luukkanen, Mira Käkönen, Hanna Kaisti, Joni Karjalainen, Jarmo Vehmas

  • Head of research Jyrki Luukkanen
  • Language n/a

The DREAM project aimed to (i) develop multi-disciplinary methodology to analyse renewable energy projects design, implementation, finance and influence on communities; (ii) build up knowledge on the various positive and negative impacts the renewable energy projects have especially at the village level; (iii) improve understanding of qualifications, such as success factors and reasons for failures, of renewable energy projects and; (iv) identify concrete means to increase long-term sustainability of donor-driven energy projects.

Team

Jyrki Luukkanen (FFRC), Mira Käkönen (FFRC), Hanna Kaisti (FFRC), Mika Korkeakoski (FFRC), Ronny Om (ITC), Khampone Nanthavong (NUOL)