On Friday, November 8, the BE-WoodEN project was presented at Ecomondo in Rimini as part of the call for papers. Ecomondo, the premier annual event in the green and circular economy sectors, serves as a key gathering for industries, stakeholders, policymakers, opinion leaders, research organizations, and institutions, promoting the development of essential strategies for the European Union’s environmental policies.
The final day of Ecomondo 2024 provided an opportunity for high-level discussions during the conference, “Wood and Bio-based Materials for Construction: A Path to Decarbonization and Circular Economy,” organized by the Ecomondo Scientific Technical Committee & Confagricoltura, Fondazione AlberItalia, and Cluster Italia Foresta Legno. This event focused on solutions and practices for decarbonizing the construction sector, starting with building materials and enhancing the entire wood production supply chain.
The conversation highlighted the forest strategy, viewing forests as a resource to be optimized not only for short-term goals, such as biomass production, but also for medium- and long-term objectives, including bio-based construction and circular design approaches extending through the building's end-of-life phase. Italy holds significant potential with its underutilized heritage of native wood species; however, achieving excellence from the initial planning phase is essential, requiring updated skills and specialized professionals.
The presentation of the LIFE BE-WoodEN project, led by Irene Diti of ART-ER, underscored the tools and activities the project provides for professionals, students, researchers, businesses, and policymakers. This support aims to enhance awareness and knowledge of wood as a construction material and foster a new culture of building, as Ugo Terzi, representing FederlegnoArredo, emphasized. This culture positively integrates the economy, environment, landscape conservation, and local community relationships, aligned with the spirit of the New European Bauhaus.