The International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) recently announced 12 new task forces for the 2025 to 2030 period. We are very pleased to be involved in three of them.

Task Forces are interdisciplinary activities working on topics of global interest and importance with specific outputs and outcomes.

Scion as New Zealand's leading research institute for forestry, industrial biotech and advanced manufacturing has the unique perspective to create opportunity and growth in ‘end-to-end’ value chains that are at the heart of a prosperous bioeconomy.

We are pleased to be involved with the following IUFRO Task Forces:

Stand complexity in planted forests: Harnessing stand complexity to improve the resilience of single - and mixed-species plantations for nature climate and people’ - Christophe Orazio of IEFC is co-ordinator.

Scion principal researcher Tim Payn is one of the deputy coordinators, and silviculture and forest carbon scientist Alan Jones is a member.

This Task Force will act as a focal point for developing and communicating scientific evidence on complexity and resilience in planted forests – testing the hypothesis that increased complexity increases resilience while preserving performance.

Building an integrated vision of the forest-based sector within a bioeconomy - Ivana Zivojinovic (BOKU) is co-ordinator.

Scion forest ecology and management scientist, Tim Barnard, and portfolio leader - distributed manufacturing, Marc Gaugler, are members.

This task force will build an integrated vision of a forest-based sector within a bioeconomy, based on perceptions and views of IUFRO member institutions, researchers, scientists and related experts. This new vision would be supported by science-based frameworks that include metrics, methodologies, implementation guidelines and would include bridges to other sectors of the bioeconomy that interrelate with forests.

Scaling-Up Science-based Forest Sector Innovation - Lyndall Bull (FAO) is co-ordinator.

Scion's general manager - forests to timber-based products, Henri Bailleres, is a member.

This Task Force will create a Community of Practice focused on supporting the scaling up of science-based innovation in the forest sector by raising awareness, improving education and communication, fostering research, developing partnerships, and providing policy support to create a more conducive environment for forest sector innovation ecosystems.

In addition, Scion principal researcher Peter Clinton is IUFRO's New Zealand Country Representative.

Scion staff have had long involvement in IUFRO over numerous Divisions and Working Parties and co-ordinating large IUFRO events.

Involvement in these international initiatives is highly beneficial to New Zealand, allowing us to keep abreast of new science and technology thinking and also position Scion and New Zealand globally.

Meeting with IUFRO President Daniela Kleinschmit

Earlier in March, we hosted an online call with IUFRO President Daniela Kleinschmit while she was visiting New Zealand. Daniela talked about IUFRO’s contribution to policy and the desire to extend input and increase representation of countries into major forest related processes e.g, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. There may be opportunities for forest research organisations like Scion to contribute more to international policy relating to forests and the forest-based bioeconomy.

We were very lucky to have the opportunity to hear her speak about the work she has been doing and aspirations for the remainder of her presidency.