Forest Policy and Economics ( IF 4 ) Pub Date : 2021-04-19 , DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2021.102461 Kevin Kilcline , Áine Ní Dhubháin , Kevin Heanue , Cathal O'Donoghue , Mary Ryan
In the face of growing demand for sustainable sources of biomass, the challenge of mobilising non-industrial private forest landowners (NIPF) with varying management objectives, to actively manage their forests and increase the supply of wood biomass, is an area of growing research and policy focus. While innovation and knowledge exchange is increasingly viewed as a means of promoting sustainable wood mobilisation, structural weaknesses in the sector such as deficiencies in the institutional and infrastructural setting or capacity of stakeholders, can negatively influence innovation processes. Addressing these overarching challenges requires a systemic analysis of the barriers to innovation across the forest sector as a whole. This case study of the Irish forest sector develops a comprehensive innovation systems framework, integrating structural and functional streams of innovation systems research. This `coupled structural–functional’ framework is applied to identify a number of interconnected systemic problems that hinder the functioning of the forest sector innovation system and negatively influence the potential for co-innovation and wood mobilisation in the sector. Three sets of key systemic wood mobilisation problems are identified, among which there is negative feedback. These so called `blocking mechanisms' have developed over time as a result of historical patterns of practice, prevailing culture, attitude and regulation and are defined here as (i) weak networks blocking capacity development of new forest owners, (ii) infrastructural problems blocking the reach and effectiveness of knowledge networks, (iii) rigid institutional structures and policy blocking co-innovation. To address these deficiencies in the current forest policy and institutional environment, this study makes a number of policy recommendations to promote co-innovation and tackle the multi-dimensional challenge of wood mobilisation.
中文翻译:
通过系统创新镜头应对木材动员的挑战:爱尔兰林业部门创新系统
面对对可持续生物质资源的需求不断增长,动员具有不同管理目标的非工业私有林地主(NIPF),积极管理其森林并增加木材生物质供应的挑战是一个不断发展的研究领域,政策重点。尽管越来越多地将创新和知识交流视为促进可持续木材动员的一种手段,但该部门的结构性弱点,例如机构和基础设施方面的不足或利益相关者的能力,可能会对创新过程产生负面影响。要应对这些总体挑战,就需要对整个林业部门的创新障碍进行系统的分析。此爱尔兰森林部门的案例研究建立了一个全面的创新系统框架,整合创新系统研究的结构和功能流。该“结构-功能耦合”框架用于确定许多相互关联的系统性问题,这些问题阻碍了林业部门创新系统的运行,并对该部门的共同创新和木材动员潜力产生了负面影响。确定了三套关键的系统性木材动员问题,其中存在负面反馈。这些所谓的“阻碍机制”是由于实践的历史模式,普遍的文化,态度和法规而随着时间而发展的,在此定义为:(i)薄弱的网络阻碍了新的森林所有者的能力发展;(ii)基础设施问题的阻碍知识网络的覆盖范围和有效性,(iii)僵化的体制结构和政策阻碍联合创新。为了解决当前森林政策和制度环境中的这些不足,本研究提出了许多政策建议,以促进共同创新和应对木材动员的多方面挑战。