The European BIO4RES project, led by the public company Nasuvinsa through its agency Lursarea, brought together the consortium’s partner entities in Arizala for a working day aimed at strengthening cooperation between regions in the SUDOE area and advancing the sustainable management of forest resources.
The meeting, held at the Deierriko Ostatua venue, served as a coordination meeting for the BIO4RES consortium, at which the technical progress of the various pilot projects, the planning of the working groups (WG1, WG2 and WG3) and the validation of the joint project strategy were reviewed.
Representatives from partner organisations in France, Portugal, Catalonia and Navarre took part in a day marked by an intense exchange of ideas and experiences on the circular bioeconomy, forestry innovation and the resilience of rural areas.
European coordination for innovative forest management
The session began with a welcome from Elena Cereceda, a technician from the Andia Association of Municipalities, and the opening of the session by Nasuvinsa, the project’s lead organisation.
The main technical aspects of the project were then addressed, with a review of the working groups focusing on forest management, technological innovation and territorial governance.
The second part of the meeting was devoted to cross-cutting issues, such as the declaration of expenditure, the risk plan and the interim progress assessment, with the participation of Iniciativas Innovadoras and Navarra Capital, external technical assistance for project management and communication, respectively.
This session served to reinforce the technical and operational coherence of the consortium, consolidating a common roadmap for the next phases of implementation.
Visit to pilot project 4: advanced training in the use of chainsaws
The day ended with a technical visit to the Zunbeltz estate in the Yerri Valley, where pilot action 4 of the BIO4RES project was being carried out, focusing on advanced training in the use of chainsaws and sustainable forest management.
The 72-hour course was held between 9 and 24 October, organised by Nasuvinsa and taught by Arpana Formación Forestal, with the support of the Yerri Valley / Deierri Town Council, the Andia Association of Municipalities and the Government of Navarre.
The theoretical classes were held at the Ostatu in Arizala, while the practical sessions took place at the Zunbeltz estate, a space provided by the Government of Navarre to the Association of Municipalities of Andia as an agricultural testing ground.
A total of eleven students of different ages took part, with the aim of training qualified personnel in rural areas and encouraging them to join the forestry sector, a field that currently faces a shortage of specialised professionals.
During the visit, the members of the consortium saw first-hand how the training programme combines advanced technical learning with a comprehensive vision of sustainability, in line with the principles of BIO4RES: fire prevention, biomass recovery and forest resilience.
Training, innovation and governance for the future of forestry
The BIO4RES pilot project 4 represents an innovative training model that integrates technical training with sustainable natural resource management and promotes collaborative governance between public administrations, local entities, forestry companies and training centres.
With this initiative, the project reinforced its commitment to a just ecological transition and the creation of quality green jobs in rural areas, helping to consolidate a permanent network for training and cooperation in forest bioeconomy in the SUDOE area.