Sveaskog hosted the European State Forest Conference in Sweden

Jul 06, 2012. /Lesprom Network/. This year for the first time Sweden and Sveaskog hosted the international conference for Europe's state-owned forests, the European State Forest Conference. More than 50 participants from 18 different countries gathered in Storforsen outside Luleå. These conferences provide an opportunity for the leaders of state-owned forest companies to meet and offer each other an insight into the varying conditions and challenges in the different countries, as the company said in the press release received by Lesprom Network. The conference started on the evening of 26 June with a welcoming dinner and an opening speech by Sveaskog's CEO P-O Wedin. The next day involved a full-day excursion into the forest. The excursion was led by Herman Sundqvist, head of Forestry at Sveaskog, who guided participants and explained Swedish conditions for forestry against the background of forest history, climate and ecosystems. "Every country has slightly different conditions and objectives for their forestry and during this conference we gained a better understanding of how forestry functions in Sweden and how Sveaskog handles the different challenges," says Georg Erlacher, CEO of Österreichische Bundesforste AG. The final day of the conference offered lectures, on themes that included Swedish experiences from development of the biofuel sector and the role the forest plays in climate by binding carbon dioxide, before it was time for the visitors to head for home. "The European State Forest Conference is an important forum for an exchange of experiences between leaders of state forest companies particularly now when the forest can provide so many answers to the challenges we face. It was extremely enjoyable to welcome our foreign guests and I hope that they will leave Sweden with new understandings and acquaintances," says Herman Sundqvist, head of forestry at Sveaskog and responsible for the conference.