2nd programme Conference of NRP 66 "Resource Wood": Retrospective

Over 100 researchers from 30 projects as well as the Steering Committee and other invited guests met in early April in Muntelier near Murten for the 2nd Progress Report Meeting of NRP 66. The poster and screen presentations offered a revealing snapshot of this multi-facetted research programme, which is now halfway towards completion.

"Research at full speed" - that is how Martin Riediker, the President of the Steering Committee, described the now completed second year of the programme in his welcoming speech. Since the research work started in 2012, various results have been published in more than forty different media. The first patent application has already been made and hopefully more will follow soon. On the knowledge and technology transfer side, four dialogue platforms were created and a basic concept was elaborated for the programme synthesis in 2013. In contrast to last year's programme conference, the order of the project presentations followed the structure of the new dialogue platforms, which in turn boosted the exchanges between the representatives of different forms of wood usage - material, chemical and energetic. The programme conference also presented the Steering Committee with the opportunity of filling some knowledge gaps with regard to the progress made in individual projects through personal conversations with the project leaders. The meeting also provided valuable input for the current evaluation of the letters of intent in view of the second phase of NRP 66.