WEBLAND
Cork Oaks, Holm Oaks and Oaks are the predominant species in the Trás-os-Montes region. Thanks to them, we have reduced our carbon footprint by 159 million tonnes of CO2 per year. However, 98 per cent of Portuguese forests are privately owned and in Trás-os-Montes 72 per cent are abandoned, with fragmentation a limiting factor for their economic dynamism and management. This forest produces the equivalent of €13.3 million per year in acorns that rot on the ground. The incipient value chain encourages the waste of a resource of industrial interest to several sectors.
WebLand aims to create a digital marketplace for the valorisation of acorns. By integrating stakeholders and linking the perspectives of production, processing capacity and market needs, it is possible to increase cost and time efficiency by more than 30 per cent. The results of the project will contribute to solving the problem of forest abandonment, with an impact on the sustainability and economic dynamism of Trás-os-Montes, fulfilling the objectives of the circular economy.
Funding: "la Caixa" Foundation & FCT
Type of Funding: PROMOVE 2021 - Innovative Pilot Projects
Application Code: PV21-00021
Project Title: Development of a Digital Tool for Intelligent Management of the Acorn Value Chain: From Forest to Industry (WebLand)
Duration: 36 months
Start: 01 July 2022
End: 01 July 2025
Coordination: LandraTech
Consortium: LandraTech, MORE Colab - Mountain Research Collaborative Laboratory
Status: Ongoing