Non-timber forest products in transition economies: Innovation cases in selected SEE countries

Abstract

Driven by political and economic reforms since 1990, the forestry sector in southeast European (SEE) countries has faced changes which have resulted, among others, in the rise of private businesses. Many of those businesses have demonstrated innovation in the sphere of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), although these products had been neglected in the past, and their potentials are still underestimated. Therefore, our aim was to get a better understanding of the innovation processes behind three case studies in selected SEE countries (Slovenia, Serbia and FYR Macedonia). For the purpose of this research, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with people responsible for the selected innovation cases in three NTFP-based enterprises. The interviews revolved around questions related to the idea and product development, the firm foundation, the supporting and hindering factors and the actors and their roles in the entire process of business development. To understand the framework conditions, we interviewed representatives of the organizations that were in charge of supporting innovation and business development. The results show that several national policy programs (e.g., in the fields of SMEs, forestry and nature protection) form a framework for supporting NTFPs innovation. However, in all the selected countries, there were no policies specifically tailored for NTFPs. An analysis showed that these innovations were developed solely by the owners and their personal ideas, and most information and financing came from the businesses themselves. The innovation systems in the selected countries did not significantly contribute to the development and running of the businesses. The lessons provided by these cases can be significant for strengthening existing NTFP-related innovation systems and fostering their effectiveness in the future.