CoLAB ForestWISE officially created and coordinated by INESC TEC
After being presented publicly in March through the signature of a memorandum of understanding with FCT, the Collaborative Laboratory (CoLAB) ForestWISE was officially created through its notarial deed, which took place in Porto on 29 September of 2018.
ForestWISE – Collaborative Laboratory for Forest and Fire Integrated Management - aims at developing research and development (R&D), innovation and transfer of knowledge and technology in order to preserve the sustainability of the forest resources, to minimise the risks of the wildland fires and to optimise the benefits of the forest to the society, enhancing the qualified and scientific employment. It is intended to create a network structure, with its head office located at the University of Trás-os-Montes (UTAD) and several poles spread throughout the country.
This private non-profit association is composed of 16 entities,among which companies of the forest and energy industry, research institutions, universities and public entities. The companies of the forest industry that joined the CoLAB ForestWISE are Altri Florestal, Amorim Florestal, Europac Kraft Viana, Sonae Arauco Portugal and The Navigator Company. The companies of the energy industry are EDP Distribuição and REN. Among the research institutions and the universities are INESC TEC, the School of Agriculture of the University of Lisbon (ISA), the University of Aveiro (UA), the University of Coimbra (UC), the University of Évora (UÉ) and the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD). Other public entities that are part of the ForestWISE are the Mission Structure of the Agency for Integrated Rural Fire Management (AGIF), the National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinarian Research (INIAV) and the National Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics (IPMA).
INESC TEC, through the figure of José Manuel Mendonça, is in charge of the coordination of CoLAB, leading the preparation of the application and assuming the leadership in the CoLAB's incubation phase which is inspired in INESC TEC’s organisational model.
The Board mandated for the next three years is chaired by José Manuel Mendonça and is composed of eight members, including representatives of three forest companies – The Navigator Company, Amorim Florestal and Sonae Arauco Portugal –, two energy companies – EDP Distribuição and REN, two Universities – UTAD, UA and AGIF.
José Manuel Mendonça recognises the capacity and competence of INESC TEC’s team who is committed to the creation of the CoLAB, composed of Alexandra Marques, Abílio Pacheco and João Claro, with the support of Ana Isabel Oliveira and Graça Barbosa. The contribution of this team has been widely acknowledged by the associates who consider INESC TEC as the key institution in the conception and operationalisation phase of the ForestWISE. José Manuel Mendonça also added that there are several challenges for the operationalisation of this Collaborative Laboratory in order to enable it to meet the needs of the associates and of other external clients regarding fire and forest research and also to contribute to the national plan of valuing the Interior of Portugal. However, José Manuel Mendonça is confident about the unquestionable competences, abilities and commitment of all the associates.
The researchers mentioned in this news piece are associated with INESC TEC and UP-FEUP.