Who we are

StrategyMedFor brings together 11 project partners from 10 European countries, combining expertise in sustainable forest management, research, conservation and territorial planning. Supported by 11 associated partners, we work across borders to share knowledge and develop practical solutions for Mediterranean forests. After developing and testing the Forward-looking Framework for Sustainable Management of Forests in three pilot territories, we are now taking the next step: transferring and adapting its tools to new territories in Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Slovenia, and supporting their wider uptake and replication.

The European Topic Centre on Spatial Analysis and Synthesis (ETC-UMA) is an international research centre within the University of Malaga supporting since 2011 the development of knowledge to feed evidence-based policy. The team has a wide expertise in a range of environmental and socio-economic domains. Its major areas of expertise include land management, ecosystem services, coastal and marine studies, environmental conservation, territorial development, resource efficiency, and soil mapping.

ETC-UMA is the Lead Partner of StrategyMedFor and leads the activities on spatial analysis.

The International Association for Mediterranean Forests (AIFM) is an international and interdisciplinary non-governmental organization founded in 1996, dedicated to knowledge, sustainable management and protection of Mediterranean forest ecosystems. It set as its goal to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences on forests and other wooded lands of the Mediterranean basin. Its core business is the leading and coordination of networks in the Mediterranean and cooperation projects engineering.

AIFM is the Communications Lead of StrategyMedFor and leads the management of the project’s carbon footprint.

CIHEAM Chania is the 4th constituent institute of CIHEAM, the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, an Intergovernmental Organisation which was founded at the joint initiative of the OECD and the Council of Europe on 21 May 1962 under an agreement signed by the governments of seven southern European countries: France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and Yugoslavia.

The CIHEAM-MAICh leads the development of the Forward-looking framework for Sustainable Management of Forests in the Mediterranean region and particularly the setting of guidelines, criteria and indicators that will be developed through a participatory approach involving all  implementing and associated partners of the project.

CNPF is a national public establishment at the service of forest owners, which covers 20% of the national territory. It contributes to the development of French forests through advisory and  coordination activities, research, training and knowledge dissemination. In France, 75% of forests are privately owned.

CNPF provides its expertise in terms of environment, biodiversity and training with the diagnostic tool for the ordinary biodiversity of forests: the Index of Biodiversity Potential (IBP) which integrates 10 structural forest parameters that are easy to measure on the field and have a strong correlation with the biodiversity and quality of  the forest.

Istituto Oikos is a non-profit, project-based organization committed to the protection of biodiversity and  to the dissemination of more sustainable lifestyles in Europe and around the world since 1996.

Istituto Oikos is in charge of the Result Amplification of StrategyMedFor and leads the dissemination and amplification missions.

The Public institution Galicica National Park is in charge for management and protection of the national  park. Within the boundaries there are different kind of forest types with very high biodiversity. Parts of  the mountain are under the Mediterranean influence and are marginal area of Mediterranean  ecosystem. Since the proclamation of the park in 1958, PIGNP has regularly developed and  implemented Forest management plans.

Galicica National Park, in North Macedonia, is one of the pilot sites of StrategyMedFor. We will define the IBP of the Park and implement actions from the Forward-looking framework for Sustainable Management of Forests in the Mediterranean region. 

The Faculty of Forestry of the University of Sarajevo was founded in 1948 and is among the oldest higher education institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Faculty develops understanding and skills for sustainable management of natural resources – forest and urban ecosystems. It achieves success in this through research, education, forest monitoring in cooperation with the real sector and the wider socio-political community.

The Faculty of Forestry of the University of Sarajevo leads the activities in one of the pilot sites of StrategyMedFor, the Dinaric Alps in Bosnia & Herzegovina. We will define the IBP of one forest and implement actions from the Forward-looking framework for Sustainable Management of Forests in the Mediterranean region. 

PPNEA is a nongovernmental environmental organization, known to be the first of its kind in Albania (1991). The organization operates nationwide and in transboundary contexts, bringing together national and regional organizations through seminars, training, workshops and conferences. PPNEA is an active member of several environmental coalitions of core environmental organizations in Albania, continuing thus its vigilant and monitoring efforts regarding the environment. The organization has also developed a high research and environmental policy advocating profile, influencing public attitudes and decision making for environmental protection and sustainable development. The establishment of the Prespa National Park in 1999 is a result of these activities.

Together with the Society for the Protection of Prespa (SPP) and the Macedonian Ecological Society, PPNEA is a member of the PrespaNet network of NGOs that work towards a shared vision to help sustain Prespa’s natural and cultural character. In this sense, PPNEA in the project will take on a dual role: advisory to the delivery of the technical recommendations on forest protection in the Prespa/Ohrid transboundary landscape and supporter for the advocacy of transboundary collaboration to forest management by endorsing an MoU among the stakeholders in the area

The Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation (IJK), Split, Croatia, is a public scientific research institution specialised in Mediterranean agriculture, forestry, karst ecosystems, natural resource management, and environmental protection. Through interdisciplinary research and applied scientific activities, the Institute has developed strong expertise, particularly in the fields of Mediterranean forest ecosystems, climate change adaptation, ecosystem resilience, and sustainable management of vulnerable karst landscapes.

The Forestry Department conducts research on Mediterranean forest ecology, forest degradation and restoration, hydrology and hydrochemistry of karst ecosystems, atmospheric deposition, soil erosion, biodiversity conservation, and climate change impacts on forest ecosystems. Its activities address key challenges such as drought stress, forest vitality decline, wildfire risk, and adaptive forest management under changing climatic conditions

Public Enterprise for National Parks of Montenegro is the national public body responsible for the management, protection, monitoring, promotion and sustainable use of Montenegro’s five national parks: Durmitor, Biogradska Gora, Lake Skadar, Lovcen and Prokletije.

Its competences include preparation and implementation of management plans and annual programmes, biodiversity and habitat conservation, visitor management, environmental education, cooperation with local communities and institutions, and implementation of conservation and development projects in protected areas.

The Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources as a part of Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana (UL (BF)), is an educational and research organisation covering the whole spectrum of forestry and forest-related topics. The Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources was founded in 1949 and is the only institution in Slovenia offering professional, academic and postgraduate study programmes in forestry and forest ecosystem management (BSc, MSc and PhD levels).

Research and educational activities are organised in the following organisational units: Chair of Silviculture, Chair of Forest Techniques and Economics, Chair of Landscape Science and Geoinformatics, Chair of Forest Health and Wildlife Management, Chair of Forest Management, Planning and Ecosystem Analyses

The StrategyMedFor partnership is a testament to the power of collective action. By uniting expertise from across Europe and the Mediterranean region, we are confident in our ability to develop a groundbreaking framework for sustainable forest management. 

Visit our “What We Do” page to delve into the specific actions we’re taking to achieve our goals. And on the “What We Achieve” page, you’ll discover the lasting impact we aim to create for the future of Mediterranean forests. Let’s embark on this journey together.