Workshop Iceland

About

This project aims to create the foundation for an emerging small-scale, forest-based industry in Iceland by learning from experiences of other Scandinavian partners.

The Agricultural University of Iceland and the Iceland Forest Service have followed closely the forest development in Iceland over past decades. The history of forestry in Iceland is rather short since the first woods were only planted about 100 years ago. But growing timber for harvesting only began around the 1980s, when farmers started planned forestry with governmental support schemes.

Today – 40 years later it has become an urgent matter to formulate and implement coordinated quality assessment guides for the main tree species used in Icelandic forestry.

The creation of wood-processing knowledge on an Iceland-specific level will be the foundation to kick off this development. Wider possibilities of using Icelandic quality timber will also serve to make the forest industry more sustainable. Therefore a main outcome of this innovative project will be to build up wood-processing education in Iceland and furthermore transfer and adapt existing European timber standards to Icelandic circumstances in close cooperation with experienced partners from countries with a long wood processing history (Sweden and Denmark).

The exciting training and teaching materials from Denmark and Sweden will be updated and adapted to Icelandic circumstances. All of the materials will be adjusted to digital learning principles.

Further project outcome will be the revision of a curriculum that enables the transfer of Icelandic lessons learned from kickstarting commercial timberlands to third countries who are facing similar challenges.

Partners