The uP_running project has arrived to the half-way point of its three years of execution. After this period, the strategy plans to promote the use of agricultural pruning and removal in 7 countries are almost ready for its release. In the same way, the project has selected 20 beneficiaries that will perform the demonstrations in the upcoming months.

Regarding the project Observatory that is being developed, it is currently working at full capacity, and by the end of October the first monographic will be released, being focused in the commissioning of APPR value chains. Other materials made available will be, for example, the details of five success stories from four of the participant countries.

Currently the partners are preparing a series of actions that will take place the following months, which require a high level of coordination: a total amount of 20 demonstrations of APPR biomass collection (Spain, Italy, Greece and Ukraine) and the respective elaboration of videos summarizing their results.

In addition, having the strategy plans ready (at national level) it will be possible to create a roadmap to promote the APPR biomass in every country, as well as the preparation of a memorandum, to which the main agrarian and energy associations will be invited to join.

At European level, a group of experts will be constituted. This group will analyze the sector and will elaborate a series of recommendations. These remarks will be brought to the European Parliament by means of a workshop targeting the members of the Parliament, which will take place in May 2018.

However, one of the most relevant factors at this stage of the project is the transfer to the agricultural and energy sector of the project’s findings. This information and awareness raising campaign has begun in Italy, in Agrilevante, with three consecutive events between 12-14 of October. During these conferences a memorandum of understanding declaring the need to promote the mobilization of the agricultural pruning and plantation removal wood has been signed. A second event has served to present the 5 Italian demonstrators being object of support by uP_running, and a matchmaking event was held to put in contact cooperatives, companies and individuals, and to explain some of the existing mechanisms for financing new initiatives.

These events will be followed by others in the rest of participant countries: Spain, Portugal, France, Croatia, Greece and Ukraine. Basically the actions will consist in an initial activation of interest of policy actors at national level, followed by a policy workshop where the main policy recommendations will be transferred and discussed, and where the memorandum of understanding will be presented. Apart from that the mid-project conferences will be also celebrated to show the current achievements to the national stakeholders interested in the new value chains from pruning and plantation removal biomass.