Local development project based on the Forest-Wood sector in “Pays d’Epinal”, , Pays d'Épinal

1. Background

1.1. Territorial aspects The whole action is implemented by a consortium of several public and private entities:  The “Communauté d’Agglomération d’Epinal” represents 78 municipalities and focuses on the economic development of its territory, by supporting projects, particularly industrial projects.  The “Pays d'Épinal” includes 169 communes and is concerned with ecological preservation, land planning, social innovation and the promotion of natural and cultural heritage.  The “Maison de l'emploi du Pays d'Épinal” (literally “house for employment’) acts as a link between the private and public sectors thanks to its skills in terms of monitoring employment and training, as well as territorial animation through the local “Terres de Hêtre” (literally, “land of beech”) brand/label.  All professionals in the forest-wood sector are mobilised for various actions, especially to give recommendations aiming at the sustainable development of this sector in the local territory.  All levels of training in the forest-wood sector are present in the Pays d'Épinal, from short cycle of technical education in all fields to Master and PhD degrees at ENSTIB (an engineering school) and Université de (https://www.enstib.univ-lorraine.fr/en/). This network enables developing strong links between education, R&D structures and jobs.

1.2. Socio-economic context The Pays d'Épinal represents one third of the Vosges département’s (administrative district) area, is located in its center, and encompasses 140,000 inhabitants. The distribution of the population is very uneven across the territory. There is an important demographic core around Épinal, but overall the density is quite low. The Pays d'Épinal has a substantial employment potential in relation to the departmental scale, but unemployment has increased significantly, particularly for the most exposed populations (young people, seniors, long-term unemployed). More than a quarter of jobs in the Pays d'Épinal are in industry or construction. However, there has been a decline in the productive economy in the territory. In urban or rural areas, around 10% of the population benefits from social aids. This phenomenon is increasing over time. A difficult economic and social situation can be observed, especially in rural areas.

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1.3. Forests The afforestation rate within the study area is 42%, which is both higher than the national average (27%) but lower than the in the whole Vosges department (47.7%).

Private forests State-owned without forests 22% management plan 20%. Private forests with management plan 8% Community forests 50%

Distribution of forest area (by surface area)

The forests of the Pays d'Épinal cover an area of about 100,000 hectares: 50% belong to the Communes (municipalities) or other local communities, 22% to the State (“Forêt Domaniale”) and 28% to private owners. Therefore, public forests represent a very large proportion (72%, 71 600ha) of the forest area, and are managed under the forestry regime by the National Forestry Office (ONF).

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The important point of this distribution is the high proportion of small properties: more than half of the forest area belongs to owners who own less than four hectares. This result is close to the average observed in the Lorraine region. It confirms that the first obstacle to management, noted in forest policies, is forest fragmentation. In addition, 28% of private forests are composed of properties of more than 25ha. This proportion is quite heterogeneous accross the territory, with the highest proportion of 38% in the Vôge sector.

In private forests, the first factor influencing management and logging potential is related to the surface area of the properties.

Communal and state forests are public forests managed by the ONF (National Forestry Office). PEFC forest certification is voluntarily subscribed to by owners and communities; 83% of the forest area submitted is PEFC certified. However, the adhesion of the communes is not systematic since only 61% of the forest communes have committed themselves to the eco-certification of their forest.

Public forests are predominantly deciduous (80%), as are private forests (55%), but the proportion of white softwood (fir and spruce) is much higher in private forests than in public forests.

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Beech is the major tree species in the area. It is associated with Scots Pine and Fir in mixed1 forests. On the other hand, pine is the main species on some southern slopes, where beech is replaced by oak. Oak is the main species in the eastern part of the Pays d'Épinal, then gives way to Beech in the western part. Oak remains present everywhere but is scarcer in the western part, due to a better natural regeneration of Beech.

Beech - Fagus sylvatica - is a common species in the plains and is present up to an elevation of 1700 m. The surface area is estimated at 11,000 ha of forests where beech represents a cover of between 35 and 65%. Then there are 10,500 ha more where Beech is present but not the main species (< 35%). Adding all types of beech forests, this species is present on about 40,000 ha of forest. This species tolerates great variability in soil conditions, but is responsive to water deficits during the growing season, particularly in June-July-August. Beech is not very competitive on very acidic sites. It avoids hydromorphy (temporarily waterlogged soils) and finds its optimum production on silt and calcareous brown soils. As a mesophilic species (particularly adapted to average conditions), it is not adapted to more extreme ecological conditions. Beech is a shade-tolerant species: a high degree of shade favors regeneration of seedlings. Therefore, it is particularly well adapted to uneven-aged silvicultural systems.

The objectives of beech silviculture recommended within the framework of sustainable management are the following:  Produce quality lumber that is white, soft, with homogeneous tree ring width.  Promote biodiversity by encouraging mixture of species and increasing the diversity of habitats (dead wood) for wildlife  Decrease stand vulnerability to pests and extreme weather conditions (as storms and droughts).

1.4. Timber industries

1 Mixture of hardwood and softwood species, neither of which alone exceeds 75% of the canopy cover (National Forest Inventory) 4 / 20

Below is a diagram representing the different stakeholders in the forest-based sector, in the 4 sub-sectors of management, logging, primary and secondary wood processing. Boundaries between categories are not fixed, with several overlaps. Three emblematic wood companies are established on the territory: Norske Skog (paper mill), Pavatex (wood wool insulation) and Egger (particle board manufacturer) in . These three industries consume more than one million tons of wood annually. Norske Skog Golbey and Pavatex are located in what is called “the Green Valley”, in Golbey near Epinal. Norske Skog aims at adapting its production system to the decline of the world market of newsprint. The Green Valley is a cluster of several companies that fosters share services (as energy or wood supply) and thus creates an industrial ecosystem. This ecosystem led to :  12% reduction in energy consumption  Reduction in raw material consumption: saving of 9,000 tonnes of wood per year  Reduction in water consumption: savings of 90,000 m3/year

The sale of wood is a key step in the forest-wood chain. There are three main ways of selling wood, in descending order of importance in the Pays d'Épinal :

- Competitive bidding process: this is a public sale where the wood is generally sold as standing trees, and the buyer is in charge of logging. It remains up to now the main method of sale, with 78% of the volumes sold over the last 4 years. - Supply contracts: this is the second most common way of selling, accounting for 17% of volumes. It has been growing steadily for the last five years. Contracts are negotiated for several years. Roundwood logs are sold by the owner or his representative (as forest cooperatives), who is in charge of logging.

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- Over-the-counter sales (“de gré à gré” in French): this method of sale means a direct negotiation between a buyer and a seller. It remains limited and represents 5% of sales.

Geographical destination of Beech logs harvested in the public forest (evaluated on the basis of volumes sold in the last 4 years).

As shown in the figure above, sales by contract foster local development by enhancing cooperation between forest owners and local timber industry. ONF as a public forest management institution must supply local industries to foster local policies. Therefore, a significant proportion of the timber sold as roundwood is processed on the territory of the Pays d'Épinal. For standing timber, a high proportion is sold to forest loggers who harvest the stands and sort the timber, then act as intermediates between the forest owners and a diversity of customers from several places. The main criterion guiding the flow thus becomes price at a given time, which explains the great increase in the volumes of wood exported, particularly to China, in recent years. Actually, purchase offers from foreign wood traders

6 / 20 have been more cost effective for forest producers than the local market, especially for lower qualities of logs, despite the handling and travel costs involved.

- Where is wood sold after sawmilling?

This analysis shows that a very small part of sawn timber is valued locally. Excepted dunnage, which is destined for French industry, sawmills are turning to distant markets, to the or even to North Africa and China, to sell their products. The value added by primary wood processing is not valorized locally. While softwood sawmills are more adapted to global markets, most of local beech sawmills are too small to access larger markets.

In 2010, all the beech sawmills in the Pays d'Épinal had or have filed for bankruptcy, which alarmed the public authorities.

In the Vosges department, between 2001 and 2010, there were 3,200 job lost in the whole forest-wood sector among the 13,600 that previously existed. Only the construction and timber trade sectors have increased. The most impressive decrease was in the paper industry, where the number of employees was almost halved. The sector, like the whole territory, was in a difficult economic situation in 2010.

2. Actions and their objectives

First, it is important to point out that a majority of actions has been financed by local authorities, with additional funding from the Department, the Region, the State and the European Union.

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2.1. The brand “Terres de Hêtre” (Lands of Beech)

The Pays d'Epinal has created the brand Hêtre des Vosges® (“Beech of Vosges”), launched on 25 November 2011. All stakeholders within the sector signed a charter in autumn 2012 that defines the values of this brand, marking the collective will to promote beech beyond the furniture sector. The use of hardwoods for building or outdoor structures, packaging and green chemistry may indeed be sectors where beech should reach new outlets.

The Pays d'Epinal (through an organization known in France as “PETR” – hub for territorial balance and rural development -) has transferred on spring 2013 the simple collective trademark Hêtre des Vosges® to a new economic entity Terres de Hêtre® (Lands of Beech).

The strategic objective of this new Terres de Hêtre® economic approach is to develop a network on innovation and marketing for beech-based products, in order to enhance the use of hardwoods on new markets as construction.

This brand has been created for professionals (private and public producers, processors, manufacturers) who are committed to a process of valorizing beech wood from sustainably managed French forest resource.

On a general view, the actors of this innovative entity aim at:

- Enhancing the value of Beech wood on the whole French territory, - Restoring the economic balance of beech silviculture for wood production, taking into account uncertainties related to climate change. - Securing supply of local wood industries by developing roundwood sales and supply contracts ; - Promoting and marketing beech wood products; - Fostering the development of local primary and secondary processing. - Strengthening research to develop new markets; - Strengthening training in the fields of construction, furniture and design ; - Promoting the awareness of architects, design and control offices

In 2017, after 5 years of existence, the Terres de Hêtre® charter has been updated to revitalize the beech sector, fostering new partnerships between several territories that have the same problems and objectives.

2.2. The Woodies

In 2012, , a municipality of Pays d’Epinal, wanted to build accommodation for an environment friendly tourist resort around its small lake. The Pays d'Épinal joined the project to launch an architectural ideas competition, with the objective of making the place a showroom of local beech construction. 57 proposals have been received, from France, Switzerland and Italy. For a global cost of 1.2 million euros, seven houses (called Woodies) were built entirely out of local wood in 2014. The reproducibility of the structures and the pre-assembly have been designed by the selected office, which lays the

8 / 20 foundations for standardization and thus for an efficient industrial process. This is a first step for an innovative development of the beech sector. On this site, 4 different construction systems were used to demonstrate the multiple ways beech can be used:  Experimental beech glulam for the reception building (Photo 1) with a thermo- treated beech cladding (

 Photo 2).

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 A large roof with wide softwood overhangs to protect the beech wood that is both in front and in the structure (Photo 3, buildings named Chalot)Erreur ! Source du renvoi introuvable.. The structure is made of beech structural boxes.  Interior and visible beech bracing, exterior pine cladding and heat-treated beech deck boards (Photo 4, Kapla buildings).

 The walls of the Tetris model are made of beech wood boxes which play both a structural and an interior design role (Photo 5). The exterior cladding is made of Scots pine.

Despite the lack of standards (that is usually a major obstacle for building innovative public facilities), this tourist resort became a technological showcase for beech uses but also more generally for construction made from local wood especially from local hardwoods. http://www.woodies-gites.com/fr/

Photo 1: Mixed beech (structure) - spruce (facing) frame (Photo by Quentin REMY)

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Photo 2: Heat-treated beech cladding with latticework

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Photo 3: Chalot model, in Xertigny (Photo by Quentin REMY)

Photo 4: Terrace in heat-treated beech and pine cladding, Kapla model (Photo by Quentin REMY)

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Photo 5: Tetris model, the wall of boxes plays a structural role (Photo by Quentin REMY) 2.3. Business incubator The Maison de l'Emploi has set up a system to support entrepreneurial projects: a business incubator. Once validated by the selection committee, support for creators is provided within the framework of a CAPE (Business Project Support Contract) over a legal period ranging from 12 to 36 months. During this period, the project leader will benefit from general support, accounting and legal assistance and individual office premises with computer equipment and collective facilities: videoconferencing, printer, telephony and free access to the research and documentation center. The whole area benefits from the dynamics of innovation on hardwood uses. The Business incubator is located in a rural commune () which since 2013 has been home to the IN'BO company (“wood” in Vosges local language) whose production of skates, bicycles and glasses is made from local wood and raw materials of French origin

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(flax, bamboo). The installation in rural areas allows the synergy between urban and rural development. The incubator has made it possible to manufacture new products from the local wood industry by supporting IN'BO as a start-up. After leaving the incubator, IN'BO has created 8 jobs, bringing the number of workers in the company to 11. (http://inbo.fr/fr/ ) The incubator also hosted the company Il était un arbre (literally, “once upon a tree”), which manufactures and sells unusual cabins (in trees, on stilts, etc.). After leaving the incubator, the company created 3 jobs and the workforce is now 5 people. (http://iletaitunarbre.fr/ ) In July 2017, the incubator has welcomed a designer, Léo Maltès, who works with furniture producers and in October 2017, two new companies were brought in:  A young entrepreneur with the project to develop a Fab Lab mixing wood processing and the latest generation of digital tools (3D printer, Computer Aided Design software, etc.).  A young entrepreneur with the project to develop innovative wood products with permanent contact with water. In 2019, seven projects are hosted, concerning architecture or the project of Aurélie Marzoc, designer, who is creating wooden education games under a brand called “Les cultivés” (“the cultivated ones”).

2.4. « Chartes forestières de territoires » A “charte forestière de territoires” (literally “forestry charter at a territorial level”) is a local initiative document that stems from the Forest Orientation Act of 2001. Its main and general objective is to involve and inform the public about forest management and thus about the three functions (economic, environmental and social) that the forest fulfils. The main benefit of a forest charter is the consultation between all stakeholders concerned by the forest and the timber sector, as shown by the diagnosis presented, which is the result of a collaboration between several forest and environmental managers and advisers. This document is the result of a partnership effort and brings together the economic diagnosis of the Pays d'Épinal, the diagnosis of the forest-based sector, the strategy and the action plan validated by the various steering committees that have succeeded one another in recent years. The PETR of the Pays d'Épinal is working with the entire forest-wood sector to recreate a dynamic and innovative industry in the area. The Forest Charter is the continuity of this work. We have taken the gamble that the forest, and the industry that results from it, participates in the planning and sustainable development of rural territories of our sector. The opportunity of this sector is the renewable nature of its raw material, which allows development and economic growth while taking into account the current environmental issues. The efficient use of natural resources, specifically forestry resources, the creation of companies and jobs, the sustainable economic development of rural territories are the major challenges of the Pays d'Épinal and this forestry charter will link and bring consistency to all forestry initiatives and policies on the territory.

2.5. Architectural Ideas Competition As already mentioned, the Pays d'Epinal, under the Terres de Hêtre® brand, launched a first architectural competition in autumn 2012: the construction of a group of 8 beechwood leisure homes (50 to 60m²), with a view to setting up in Xertigny. The aim of the competition was to reward an efficient architectural treatment of beech wood, synergizing the technical performance and the reproducibility of the projects (Photo 7, second prize). The success of this first edition (57 entries from France and Europe) has led to the publication of a new competition in 2014. This second competition focused on the design

14 / 20 of a “Maison du vélo” (bike house) made mainly of beech wood, and aimed to encourage the emergence of creative and innovative ideas. The idea is to demonstrate beech wood has many qualities for building. These competitions have resulted (Les Woodies) or will result (La maison du vélo in Xertigny, will be finished at the end of 2020) in the construction of operational buildings.

Photo 6 : Second prize in the "Le Cocon" ideas competition - N. GUILLOT ()

A new competition was organised in 2017, in partnership with the commune of Bouxières-aux-Bois. The subject was the realization of an intergenerational zone (4 houses for elderly and disabled people, and a multifunctional room for kid activities, local food market …) in the centre of the village. The aim was to use local beech wood, or even beech wood from the community forest, for the construction. The buildings will be finished in 2020.

2.6. « Maison du vélo » in Epinal The bike house project in the harbour of Épinal consists, for the Pays d'Épinal, of combining a response to a need for a building for bicycle hire with an innovative project in the use of beech wood.

The architect Jean-Luc GÉRARD has imagined a visible load-bearing structure of mixed resin / beech with a harmonization of colors. The horizontal elements are made of resin- glued laminated timber, while the vertical elements are double posts made of beech-glued laminated timber. The connections between posts and beams are made by means of bolts. A complete beechwood shaft forms the central column of the structure. Mixing the species shows the architectural possibilities offered by using the right species in the right place.

The interior is made of beech wood with custom-made furniture and partitions, which gives the building a unique character. The joist and parquet flooring of the mezzanine are also made of beech, thus confirming the warm atmosphere inside the Maison du Vélo. Outdoors, beech is used for cladding thanks to a heat treatment, giving the wood a brown colour that blends in well with the landscape.

2.7. ONF Wood Workshop In 2011, the Pays d'Épinal was looking for a site for hosting a technological platform devoted to the valorization of hardwoods. An industrial wasteland extended over 1500 m2

15 / 20 between two rural communes. With the three objectives of rehabilitating the building, enhancing economic activities in a place affected by industrial site closures, and demonstrating the potential of beech wood for building, the community of communes decided to restore the site with the project of establishing a regional workshop for the production of outdoor wooden furniture. The workshop belongs to ONF Grand-Est (in charge of public forest management) and is dedicated to the manufacture of signage and outdoor furniture (used all over France), notably in heat-treated beech wood as a substitute to chemically treated pine. This will support the emergence of new outlets for the sector. The building was constructed partly with beech wood laminated lumber by the German Pollmeier company. The interior joinery is made of beech wood, as well as the flooring. The cladding is made of heat-treated beech wood.

2.8. Research & Development

A study carried out by LERMAB, presented below, was financed by Terres de Hêtre®. The objective was to study the feasibility of walls made of beech boards from the Vosges mountains, joined by screwing with a specific preparation of the contact surfaces. After this first step of feasibility, an ambitious project using this principle will be implemented. The figure below shows the general structure of a wall (roof or floor elements can be designed on the same principle). This product must be consistent with the regulatory framework of the construction, in order to allow an immediate market success.

Siding (beech)

Vapour barrier

Beech laminated structure 120 x 40

Wood fibre insulation

Rain screen (if needed)

Siding and cladding support (oiled beech) thickness 35 cm

Figure 1: Proposal for a standard wall made of crossed beech planks

The proposed wall composition is intended to: - use local beech but also other local species if necessary according to availability, - give more added value to wood from logs of low quality that would normally be used for fuel or particle boards, - reach the passive house standard,

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- use the principle of screw fastening by special surface preparation, that procures a strength equivalent to glued joints. - balancing bracing forces in walls, floors and roofs by wood/wood joining systems - support further projects about automation and robotization of production lines, in order to reduce costs and maximize flexibility.

2.9. Communication (mainly in French) Several videos have been made to show and disseminate concrete actions around the valorization of the local beech: - https://vimeo.com/79085730 : excerpt from the film Terres de Hêtre n°1 (2013), ONF and forest management - https://vimeo.com/79085731 : extract from the film terres de Hêtre n°1 (2013), the Cambium Makers (later to become In'Bô) - https://vimeo.com/79091495 : Interview Mrs MARCOT (2013), mayor of Xertigny for the launch of the Woodies - https://vimeo.com/78913040 : Interview of Marion KERN (2014), Architect laureate of the architectural idea competition n°1 - https://vimeo.com/78913052 : Interview with an Italian architectural group (2014), 3rd prize in the architectural idea competition n°1 - https://vimeo.com/78913054 : Interview with WM Architecture (2014), builder of the Woodies showroom. - https://vimeo.com/78915114 : Interview of Nicolas GUILLOT (2014), architect, 2nd prize of the architecture idea competition n°1 - https://vimeo.com/112673181 : Architectural Ideas Competition n°2 (2014) - https://vimeo.com/192925621 : Terres de Hêtre, 4 years of action (2017) - https://vimeo.com/213800694 The Wood Challenges 2016 (2017) A website is regularly updated: https://www.terresdehetre.com and a facebook page allows you to follow the news (https://www.facebook.com/TerresdeHetre/).

State of the sector, 10 years after the beginning of actions

Forestry issues were partly solved through a great increase in supply contracts for beech sales. New projects are currently in progress to increase harvesting in sustainably managed private forests (with a management plan). To address the problem of small private forests, projects are developed for improving logging operations by grouping neighboring forest properties (whether private or public). However, new problems are emerging while others are worsening. Indeed, hunting is a major bone of contention between forest users. Sharing the same space between hunters and hikers is really complicated. Hunters, who are in charge of regulating ungulate populations (deer, roe deer, wild boar), have ended up favoring an increase in animal populations, threatening forest regeneration according to forest managers. In addition, the arrival of neo-rural populations in small villages brings a different vision of the forest uses, more focused on recreation than on timber production. As a result, divergences and tensions arise with loggers and forest managers. Currently, the remaining beech sawmills in the Territory are functioning well and finding markets, especially for export. The situation has improved slightly since 2010 as part of the processing (and therefore part of the wealth created) is done in the Pays d'Épinal. However, most of end-use products continue to be manufactured elsewhere, which is harmful for the local economy and employment. The incentives to create new companies have positive impacts, near the city of Epinal as well as in rural areas, and

17 / 20 young entrepreneurs continue to be interested in the system and the network that the Pays d'Épinal has been able to set up. The Pays d'Épinal has joined forces with the Parc Naturel (Regional Natural Park) des Vosges du around the “Terres de Hêtre” brand because the two territories have shared the same problems and ambitions for years in the development of beech wood. This partnership makes it possible to lead consistent joint projects and thus increase the impact of Terres de Hêtre’s actions.

Project for the next 10 years

Thanks to the cooperation of several territories and public authorities at the regional level, a 10-year project is aiming to develop the timber sector and to encourage citizens to get involved in forestry in order to understand all the issues involved in this sector for a sustainable bioeconomy.

2.10. Joint forest management In public forests, management could be simplified and communication made easier by unifying decision-making centers (municipal councils today) by grouping together the forests of several communes. There are several variants of groupings, such as joint forest management unions (“syndicats mixtes de gestion forestière”) or forest management unions between municipalities (syndicats intercommunaux de gestion forestières). The choice is oriented by the simplicity of creation, the need to group together sections of the municipality or the possibility of modifying each member's share when adding or removing forests. In both cases, ownership of the woods, forests and land is not transferred to the union. The aim is to reduce the number of people to deal with in order to facilitate management and thus be able to offer larger and more homogeneous batches of wood in the qualities sought after by local sawyers.

2.11. Green Valley Development

2.11.1. Biorefinery To diversify its production, Norske Skog has invested in a biorefinery process that allows the production of feed proteins for fish farming. Other avenues are also being considered, such as the production of molecules for the pharmaceutical industry.

2.11.2. Energy Island Norske Skog is developing a methanation process to produce biogas from sludge from pulp production. This production can then be used on the site itself thanks to the development of other companies such as Pavatex or a new industrial sawmill project that is about to be set up. The aim is to use all the energy produced, in other production processes or for nearby housing.

2.11.3. Industrial sawmill On the industrial site of Norske Skog and Pavatex, an industrial beech sawing unit will be set up. The objective is to have a large sawmill on the territory, capable of supplying sawn timber for specific and local uses and outlets. The production related products will supply the biorefinery.

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2.12. Prototype plant at scale 1 Following LERMAB's work to establish a new constructive system allowing the use of beech, the first manufacturing plant for this process will be built. It should be located in the Green Valley in order to allow cooperation between industries. The new industrial sawmill will enable local supply.

2.13. Oven for the heat treatment of beech wood In cooperation with the wood workshop of ONF, the heat treatment oven will allow the local production of beech wood that can be used outdoors. Thus, all the added value will be done on the territory, which will generate employment and economic development.

2.14. “Hotel de l’Innovation” in Epinal Beech wood is difficult to process and sort. But it is precisely what seems difficult that is a stimulus for creative minds and not a reason to give up in the face of difficulty. In the past, beech wood was used for all possible applications. This potential must therefore be rediscovered and new horizons opened up. Moreover, the construction of a wooden building housing a workshop with the latest technology for wood processing will demonstrate that the sector as a whole is really a modern sector rather than a traditional one. This “Hôtel de l'Innovation” will include a business incubator and a Fab Lab. A support structure for the creation of innovative companies in the wood sector, the incubator aims to transform an innovative idea into a successful business.

What services will be offered? - Know-how: Assistance in the formulation of the business model, in the drafting of the business plan, in the filing of patents and on all aspects relating to intellectual property. - Logistical resources: provision of premises, meeting rooms, library, etc. - Networking: helping the future company to integrate the whole project environment and to find financial resources, especially providing access to start-up funds. - Support in terms of training, advice and fundraising. Located close to ENSTIB campus, this Lorraine incubator for innovative wood processes and uses will be at the heart of a scientific pole in order to maintain close relations with the research and R&D laboratories.

The “Fab Lab Bois” project promotes the use and valorization of wood material, associated with digital manufacturing and innovation. It focuses on the themes of wooden items and wood construction (and more particularly eco-construction).

It thus pursues several main objectives: - To be an economic development tool at the service of businesses, - To be a living lab for experimentation, sharing and open production (DIY - Do It Yourself / DIWO - Do It With Others), - To be a place of education and a place that stimulates talents and vocations, - To be a place of recycling and valorization of wood material through a recovery centre.

2.15. The "Fabrique des Hommes et des Arbres" The "Fabrique des Hommes et des Arbres" (literally the factory of men and trees) is a collaborative network based on a Living lab approach. In France, it is the only livinglab

19 / 20 devoted to the innovative valorization of forest ecosystem services. It is supported by a strong alliance between several territories including Nancy and Epinal cities and surrounding rural areas. The "Fabrique des Hommes et des Arbres" aims at involving users and inhabitants (rural and urban, with particular attention to working-class districts) in the innovation process about sustainable and multifunctional forest management and wood uses, for the well-being of populations, environmental excellence and the economic competitiveness of the territory. It aims at providing an integrated response to urban, peri-urban and rural challenges, both social, environmental and economic, using trees and forests as a tool and a capital. The "Fabrique des Hommes et des Arbres" is based on a resource centre "Living L'Arbre" (“Arbre” is tree in French), which mobilizes unique expertise and tools. It is organized into thematic labs (Forest Lab, Housing Lab, Health Lab, Art and Design Lab) with several territorial branches. The Men and People project received governmental financial support through the “Investments for the Future Programme” and is labeled as a “Territoire d’Innovation” (land of innovation) among 24 others in France, the only one based on forests and trees.

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