From Science to Impact: Key Results from INFORMA’s Final Meeting in Valencia
On 2 June 2026, the INFORMA project partners gathered at the premises of the Politechnic University of Valencia for our Final General Meeting, marking a major milestone after four years of collaboration on sustainable forest management in Europe.
Across five interconnected Work Packages, the project has delivered new insights into how forests can support climate mitigation, biodiversity, and resilient bioeconomies, while acknowledging the complexity of balancing these objectives.
WP1 – Connecting Science and Practice
WP1 played a central role in ensuring that scientific knowledge does not remain theoretical, but is translated into practical forest management solutions.
One of its main achievements was the development of interactive training approaches, such as marteloscopes and field-based learning environments, where researchers and practitioners could exchange knowledge directly. This iterative dialogue created feedback loops, allowing research results to be continuously adapted to real-world conditions.
Sustainable forest management requires co-creation, where science and practice evolve together rather than separately.
WP2 – Ecosystem Functions and Forest Management
WP2 provided a robust scientific foundation by analysing how forests function under different management regimes.
Using the Informa Forest Management Platform (more info about this tool will be published soon here) comparing managed and unmanaged forests, the work confirmed that unmanaged forests tend to store more carbon and host richer biodiversity, including increased deadwood and microhabitats. However, benefits vary over time, with some appearing quickly and others requiring long-term perspectives.
Importantly, the results highlighted that:
- There are clear trade-offs, but also
- Opportunities for “win-win” strategies through integrated forest management
There is no single optimal approach because management must balance ecosystem services over time.
WP3 – Social, Economic, and Policy Realities
WP3 brought the human dimension into focus, analysing how forest management decisions are shaped by institutions, perceptions, and economic systems.
Key findings include:
- Strong regional differences in how forest adaptation and mitigation are understood and implemented
- A wide range of barriers, including regulatory complexity, economic constraints, and social acceptance
- A critical gap between policy objectives and on-the-ground implementation
A major contribution of WP3 is its innovation roadmap, which emphasises:
- The need for adaptive governance and participatory approaches
- Greater investment in climate-resilient forestry and long-lived wood products
- Stronger integration between forest management, industry, and climate policy
Effective solutions depend not only on science, but on people, incentives, and governance systems.
WP4 – Modelling Future Forest Pathways
WP4 explored how different forest management strategies may perform under future climate scenarios using advanced modelling tools.
Key results show that it is possible to simulate and compare a wide range of management alternatives across Europe, and there are consistent trade-offs between objectives such as:
- Wood production
- Carbon storage
- Water availability
For example:
- Longer rotations increase carbon storage
- Shorter, more intensive management may improve water yield
A major output of WP4 is the development of spatially explicit management portfolios, which integrate climate uncertainty and regional differences, optimise across multiple objectives, and provide a basis for EU-scale planning.
Forest management requires optimisation across competing goals, not single-objective solutions.
WP5 – From Forests to Carbon Markets
WP5 focused on how to translate scientific knowledge into credible carbon certification systems.
The work identified key challenges on baseline definition, which remains a major weakness in carbon certification. New approaches like dynamic baselines show potential but are complex to implement.
At the same time, WP5 highlighted promising innovations:
- Improved monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems
- Use of digital tools and field-based technologies to reduce costs and improve accuracy
Scaling forest-based climate solutions requires trustworthy, transparent, and practical certification systems.
A Common Message: Towards Better Forest Management
Across all Work Packages, a consistent message emerges:
- There is no one-size-fits-all solution
- Forest management must be adaptive, region-specific, and integrated
- Climate mitigation and adaptation must be addressed together
- And achieving impact depends on aligning science, policy, and practice
We will keep a close watch on the activities of our final meeting this week on our LinkedIn account.