Developing a territorial diagnostic as part of a living lab process: Implementation to improve management and wood mobilization in small French private forest

Abstract

Living lab produces a wide variety of innovation results. To produce these results, territorial living labs can be mobilized, they implement the conditions of innovation in territorial development. However, because of their geographical areas and their stakeholders, territories are complex systems. Thus, it should be noted that in any territorial approach, a territorial diagnostic is essential. Nevertheless, in a territorial living lab process, the territorial diagnostic is rarely used and formalized. This research aims at developing a replicable and adaptable forest territorial living lab at the scale of each territory in order to meet the objectives of French forest policy regarding the improvement of wood management and mobilization in small private forests. For this purpose, we propose to include a territorial diagnostic as a step in forest territorial living lab process. The objective of this document is to propose a territorial diagnostic adapted: 1) to the characteristics and implementation of a living lab process with the additional feature of being replicable and adaptable at the scale of each territory 2) to meet the objectives of the targeted forest policy regarding the improvement of wood management and mobilization in small private French forests. We propose a territorial diagnostic in four steps: 1) A macro-environmental analysis with the SWOTed PESTEL 2) A strategic stakeholder analysis 3) A micro-environmental analysis with the half-SWOT 4) A design of forest owners' personas. We will present the first simplified results of this territorial diagnostic and show these main innovative contributions to the living lab process.