Forestry Innovation Programme

Overview

Northumberland County Council, in collaboration with the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, embarked on a mission to ascertain the potential of a Forestry Innovation Centre/Programme based in Northumberland. Its influence is envisioned to extend across the Borderlands region. While the preliminary vision anticipated a Green Book business case for capital funding, the exact nature and potential activities for economic growth remained ambiguous. To bring clarity and definition to this vision, the Rural Design Centre was enlisted.

Project partners

• Northumberland County Council

• Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal

Project Journey

Research & Opportunity Framing: Commenced with a comprehensive exploration of existing research, field interviews, and stakeholder reports from the forestry sector. Aimed to identify and frame innovation "tickets" based on value, theme, subject, and urgency.

Expert Focus Group: An online forum of forestry connoisseurs was established. They worked to further refine and prioritize innovation opportunities, culminating in three main themes: "Forest resource," "Workforce and skills," and "Efficiency."

Stakeholder Workshop: A broader assembly of stakeholders from varied forestry sectors convened to deliberate on the three themes. Their collective insights, grounded in the Borderlands context, paved the way for the identification of potential projects that a Forestry Innovation Centre/Programme could champion.