About the Action

COST Action EU-PoTaRCh establishes a network focused on the past, present and future use of the major forest by-products in Europe. The Action emphasizes forest by-products, mainly potash, tar, resin, and charcoal (PoTaRCh), as representatives of the traditional heritage of forest exploitation, including extractives used along the time for their specific chemical, biological activity and therapeutic effect. The scientific objective of the Action is to demonstrate the value of these products for the communities and their socio-economic growth, as well as their impact on biodiversity and climate throughout time. The general aim is to identify and assess changes in production and use of PoTaRCh and extractives, along with their social and environmental impacts on sustainable development and draw lessons for the future based on this legacy. In this way, the Action supports the sustainable use of forests and the transfer of knowledge about circular economy practices, as a contribution to the systemic shift to the new circular bio-economy.

A key component of the Action is to support stakeholders that are knowledgeable about PoTaRCh goods and are interested in them because they are used in production, education and promotion of our natural and cultural heritage.  The Action meets a wide range of demands thanks to the participation of partners with various activity profiles (museums, state forests, forest industry, tradition bearer’s associations, tourism industry, etc.). The EU-PoTaRCh Action highlights three COST inclusivity policies: the participation of inclusivity Target Countries with a long history of developing PoTaRCh, a special emphasis on gender balance, and the involvement of young researchers in leadership positions.

EU-PoTaRCh sets itself ambitious tasks aimed at expanding the network and building the potential of the Action:

• Mentoring and promotion of young people, especially from ITCs, where there are many active tradition bearers. Young people can easily combine research with practice.
• Creating an interdisciplinary collaborative network brings together excellence in history, archaeology, natural sciences and technology across Europe to support joint research on forest by-products to expand and exchange knowledge and experiences. Establishing a network on the prospects of PoTaRCh for the bioeconomy and forest transformation. The White Paper for policy-makers and international organizations will be an important outcome supporting the innovation potential of European society.
• Creating opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation between scientists, practitioners (tradition bearers) museums, and enterprises in the field of bioeconomy, forest transformation and tourism.
• Facilitating the creation of a network of museums, associations of active tradition bearers, communities and other stakeholders, leading to the preparation of a European plan for the protection of the tangible and intangible heritage of PoTaRCh.
• Disseminating knowledge and experiences resulting from EU PoTaRCh activities among the general public through publications (reports and articles), workshops, conferences, an easily accessible, user-friendly website, social media and other media appearances.

The above goals are pursued through various activities organized within the Action:

• We arrange meetings, workshops, and conferences that cater to all Action members, focusing closely on EU PoTaRCh deliverables. These activities may target specific groups (e.g., individual working groups) or involve all Action members.
• Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSM) grants, Inclusion Target Countries Conference (ITC) grants and Dissamination Conference (DC) grants are available for all Action members to apply for. These initiatives aim to foster international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
• Training schools provide intensive education on EU-PoTaRCh at host institutions’ headquarters. These schools primarily benefit young researchers from across Europe, although participation is open to all interested individuals.
• We also organize webinars where every EU PoTaRCh member can present their ideas, research, experiences, projects, or opinions.
• We initiate, help in organizing and finding partners for joint research, scientific projects, publications, popularization and promotional activities or dissemination of knowledge about PoTaRCh. Additionally, we provide financial support for open access publications.

All these efforts promote cooperation, networking, knowledge sharing, and research and development within the framework of the EU PoTaRCh Action.