The President of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, inaugurated on Friday the new Forestry Hub of Catalonia, a state-of-the-art innovation and technology center that will accelerate the use and valorization of local wood and will promote the circular bioeconomy.
The Hub, located in Olius, in the Solsonès region, has been promoted by the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC).
On Friday, October 31, the President of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, inaugurated the Forestry Hub of Catalonia, a state-of-the-art innovation and technology center that will accelerate the use and valorization of locally sourced sawn or chipped wood, while fostering a circular bioeconomy. This new facility, promoted by the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC), was created with the goal of becoming a benchmark for technical and scientific outreach, driving the development of new products that help mitigate climate change through the forestry sector.
Illa began his speech by calling for a ‘change of mindset’ in light of the state of Catalonia’s forests and the impacts of climate change. ‘Most citizens of Catalonia will say that we have little forest and that it is shrinking, but the opposite is true’. In Catalonia, there is a lot of forest and it grows every year. If we don’t act and manage all this forest mass, we could face serious problems,’ Illa warned, recalling the two major wildfires this summer in La Segarra and Terres de l’Ebre.
The head of the executive emphasized that the Government is already working on several lines through ‘multidisciplinary teams’, including measures such as protective firebreaks around suburban areas. In this sense, he said that the actions taken must go ‘hand in hand with science’, citing the new Forestry Hub of Catalonia as an example. ‘Science shows us how to make forests profitable and add value to them,’ Illa noted.
On the other hand, the president stressed that he is aware that there are ‘bottlenecks,’ including bureaucratic hurdles and ‘a vision from European institutions that is not always attentive to Mediterranean realities.’ Therefore, he said, ‘the Government is committed to working to overcome all these bottlenecks.’ ‘What I have seen here today is enormously promising,’ Illa said. Finally, the President of Catalonia urged everyone ‘not to trivialize climate change nor make jokes about it.’
The director of the CTFC, Antoni Trasobares, highlighted in his speech the need to act quickly to ‘restore landscapes’ and to generate social, economic, and environmental value — ‘and to do so based on science and public–private collaboration.’ Trasobares explained that too often, high-level research ‘fails to reach practice,’ and therefore, with the new Hub, they want to help ‘make things happen.’ ‘Let’s be as bold as possible to bring about the large-scale change that needs to take place,’ he urged.
The new Forestry Hub of Catalonia
The Hub occupies a 3,900-square-meter site in the municipality of Olius (Solsonès) and has been built using cross-laminated timber (CLT) from the Pyrenees. It includes an industrial line for structural wood, a pilot biorefinery plant, a laboratory for aromatic and medicinal plants, and a demonstration kitchen for gourmet products.
The goal of the Forestry Hub of Catalonia is to support a transition based on the circular bioeconomy, as set out in the 2030 Bioeconomy Strategy of the Government of Catalonia. It was conceived to activate this transition and promote sustainable forest management on a national scale. The project’s purpose is to contribute to large-scale implementation, generating impact and transformation through market viability and the participation of local communities.
The project aims to strengthen multiple value chains: wood for construction and chemistry, aromatic and medicinal plants, and agroforestry products such as truffles and pine nuts — through innovation, product development, training, and collaboration with businesses and regional stakeholders.
The Forestry Hub facilities cost 3.8 million euros and were financed with the Climate Fund of the Government of Catalonia, European structural funds, and the support of the Provincial Council of Lleida (with funds from the PECT BioMarkets) and the Olius Town Council, which provided the space for the construction of the Mediterranean Biotransformation Center.
Last modified: 3 November 2025
