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Wood as a renewable material is relevant for climate change mitigation: Carbon sequestration in forests and carbon storage in harvested wood products (HWPs) contribute to carbon reduction in the atmosphere, and the substitution of carbon‐intensive products with wood products can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Since wood is a limited resource, it must be used efficiently and sustainably. Shifting wood from one application to another might result in decreased GHG emissions due to substitution effects. However, which wood application will lead to a GHG emission reduction is currently unknown. This study investigates the effects of shifting wood between applications and the resulting substitution effects from a system perspective. A system dynamics model describes the wood utilization system of Austria, including the value chains from the forest to wood‐processing industries and the substitution that takes place in these industries. These value chains are associated with the global warming potential. Seven wood utilization scenarios shifting between material use and use for energy are simulated. The results show that wood shifts lead to both a substitution effect (emission reduction) in industries where wood utilization is increased and a counter effect (emission increase) where wood is replaced. The two effects potentially outweigh each other partly, leading to comparatively small net effects. However, carbon sequestration in HWPs and future changes in substitution effects might lead to additional effects. To substantially contribute to climate change mitigation, alternatives other than shifting wood between material and energy value chains need to be found within the wood utilization system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many European countries with plentiful forest resources, novel forest‐based businesses play a key role in the transition from our current fossil‐based economy towards a circular bioeconomy. For example, kraft lignin, a by‐product from the pulping industry, is produced in large amounts globally. To date, however, it is still only offered on the market by a small number of pulping companies. The successful innovation diffusion of related new technologies and businesses requires establishing a collective effort among multiple societal actors to motivate the sharing of value creation processes. In this paper, potential innovation diffusion pathways are modeled and simulated by means of an agent‐based approach (Biorefinery Products Innovation Diffusion model, BioPID). The paper investigates the conditions needed to encourage the diffusion of kraft lignin innovations as a (partial) replacement for fossil‐based feedstock in selected applications. The results reveal the basic mechanisms behind potential innovation diffusion pathways. The major barriers were found to be the high level of uncertainty surrounding the additional costs arising in lignin processing, the small number of lignin providers, and the presence of relatively homogeneous pricing strategies based on opportunity and basic preparation costs. The analysis of two product categories revealed different patterns in terms of innovation diffusion and potential greenhouse gas emissions. A novelty of BioPID is that it allows for iterative technology evaluation and technology foresight analysis of biorefinery projects (e.g., by combining techno‐economic, socio‐technical, and environmental aspects). This produces knowledge for diverse stakeholders involved in the lignin innovation ecosystem, thus enabling better communication on shared values and furthering innovation diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood-based innovations can substantially contribute to bioeconomy and future competitiveness of the forest-based sector. However, the forest-based sector lacks consumer-related information that is essential to achieve societal acceptance and market diffusion of wood-based innovations. Therefore, this study investigates the perceptions and related information demands regarding the four selected innovations, that is, wooden multi-story timber construction (WMC), biorefinery (BR), natural fiber reinforced composites (NFC), and nanocellulose (NC). A focus group discussion with future-oriented individuals representing potential future opinion leaders and a subsequent qualitative content analysis was used as the research method. The results show that the perception and information demand of the focus group participants differs between the innovations as a result of their market maturity. It was observed that the participants discussed WMC, a well-established innovation, in detail compared to NC, a quite recent innovation. The results suggest that the forest-based sector should consider individual and societal benefits when communicating the benefits of wood-based innovations.

The expansion of existing pulp mills with additional technology processing concepts to forest-based biorefineries implies high risks. A stakeholder-integrated strategy development is therefore more likely to open up such new business opportunities. Therefore, this paper aims to develop and verify a feasible approach. For this purpose, Porter’s deliberate strategy was extended in context of a case study on the production of hemicelluloses for value-added food markets. Considering two different strategies based on technological approaches, the case of pre-extraction can be given preference considering the interests of involved stakeholders regarding food additive marketing. The implementation process of a forest biorefinery remains widely case dependent, but nonetheless this paper provides some guidance concerning realization steps. The study proved that vast concordance between three different stakeholder groups can be achieved in case of two complex options. Hence, coordination of stakeholder interests is feasible in context of technology implementation strategy development.