How well do national forestry research priorities align with European ambitions?
A new study compares forestry research strategies in Slovakia and Czechia with the EUFORE Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), combining policy alignment analysis with thematic mapping of recent research projects.
The analysis looked at national Research and Innovation Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3) and 235 forestry research projects funded between 2021 and 2025 — 137 in Slovakia and 98 in Czechia. Together, these projects represent €32.8 million in funding in Slovakia and €57.6 million in Czechia.
The findings show strong alignment with European priorities, especially in climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, resilient forests, and the circular bioeconomy. They also highlight differences in thematic focus and funding structures between the two countries, pointing to opportunities to strengthen product innovation, forest-based industries, and social and governance research.
The study was conducted within our EUFORE project by Zuzana Sarvašová, Ján Válovčan and Rastislav Rasi at the National Forest Centre, Slovakia.
Reference: Sarvašová, Z. Válovčan J., Raši R. 2026. Priority lesníckeho výskumu na Slovensku a v Česku v kontexte strategickej výskumnej a inovačnej agendy partnerstva Forest (Forestry Research Priorities In Slovakia And Czechia In The Context Of The Strategic Research And Innovation Agenda Of The Forest Partnership). Zprávy Lesnického Výzkumu, 71, 2026 (3): 83-95. DOI:10.59269/zlv/2026/3/794
The full paper with an English abstract and summary is available here: https://doi.org/10.59269/ZLV/2026/3/794
SRIA is available here: https://doi.org/10.36333/rs12