SNS is a co-operating body financed with Nordic funds under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The overall purpose of SNS – the Nordic Forest Research Co-operation Committee – is to promote research into the diverse functions of the forests in sustainable forestry, as well as to advice the Nordic Council of Ministers on questions concerning forests and forest research. Through foresighted activities in research co-operation, communication of knowledge, etc., SNS wishes to contribute to the socially, economically and ecologically responsible management and utilisation of forests and wood resources in the Nordic region. The areas of responsibility of SNS encompasses forestry, forests and other wooded areas, the utilisation of wood and other forest products, as well as the non-commercial values of forests.

Successful evaluation of SNS

In 2012 SNS was succesfully evaluated in an external evaluation done by Indufor. The report and presentation can be downloaded here:

Evaluation of Nordic Forest Research Co-operation 2012 (full report)

Evaluering av Samnordisk Skogsforskning (ppt-presentation in Swedish)

SNS 40 years in 2012

In 2012 SNS celebrated it’s 40th anniversary. Find out more about our activities under the theme “New challenges for sustainable forestry“.

The aims of SNS

• to create Nordic synergy within forest research by granting support to networks, research meetings, projects, joint utilisation of unique research facilities etc.
• to promote the development of new research areas through initiating networks and task forces
• to promote research co-operation with countries in the Baltic Sea region and neighbours in the Atlantic region
• to strengthen the role of Nordic forest research in European collaboration and encourage Nordic forest researchers to take part in international projects
• to work to ensure the research results are communicated to the relevant parties within the Nordic co-operation framework

 

Organisation

SNS was established in 1972. The activities in SNS are governed by statutes, adopted by the Nordic Council of Ministers (2001, 2008). The board of SNS has two members from each country (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) and one observer from the independent areas of Åland, Faroe Islands and Greenland. Members represent research institutes, research funding bodies, forest administration agencies, forest owners and industrial interests. Board meetings are held twice a year.

The chairman in 2010-2013 is Pernille Karlog, the Nature Agency, Denmark. The SNS secretariat rotates between member countries and is in 2010-2013 located at Forest & Landscape, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Secretary for SNS is Katrine Hahn Kristensen.

SNS has an annual budget of app. 700.000 Euro, most of which is allocated through research grants to projects and networking activities. SNS is continuously evaluated by the Officials Committee for Fishery, Agriculture, Food and Forestry (EK-FJLS) under the Nordic Council of Ministers. SNS supports two forest-related  scientific journals: Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research and Wood Material Science and Engineering. News about forest reseach in the Nordic region is published bi-monthly in News & Views.

The statutes of SNS can be downloaded here (in Danish).