Dear colleague, at the homepage of the project preforest www.preforest.eu, you will find the final programme of the conference INNOVATION AND NEW HORIZONS IN TREE NURSERY STOCK PRODUCTION AND FOREST RESTORATION - FROM RESEARCH TO BUSINESS to be held in Rome from 12th to 14th of March This conference will bring together scientists, forest managers, policy advisors, private nursery entrepreneurs and producers of nursery equipment to: · display the results of their research activities and their prototypes, innovative biological results and technical solutions regarding nursery management and forest restoration, especially in difficult sites; · to present new ideas for technological innovation, prototypes and applications, and discuss future development within this area. Two themes will thus be developed: 1. Innovative forest nursery management 2. Contemporary forest restoration These themes will be addressed in volunteer papers and in presentations by the conference's invited speakers, including: Jim Carle, UN Food and Agricultural Organizations Steve Colombo, Ontario Forest Research Institute, Canada Alberto Del Lungo, UN Food and Agricultural Organizations Anders Mattsson, Dalarna University, Sweden Erik Normark, Holmen Skog, Sweden Davide Pettenella, Università di Padova, Italy John Stanturf, Forest Service, USA Vivai Torsanlorenzo Group and University of Tuscia (Italy), QS Odlingssystem AB and Dalarna University (Sweden), and Ditikomakedonika Fytoria and National Agricultural Research Foundation (freece) are partners of a research project named "PreForest", funded by the European Commission (EC), within the VI Research Framework Programme, Cooperative Research Action For Technology (CRAFT). During the conference the results of "PreForest" will be presented. The PreForest project's objectives can be summarised as follows: · introduce a new technology build on pre-cultivation (in mini-plugs) of forest regeneration materials in a cost efficient and environmental friendly production unit not affected by outdoor climate; · develop a new technology for a grading and re-plug robot adapted to mini-plugs. · integrate these technologies into a functional system for large scale production of pre-cultivated forest regeneration materials adapted to transplanting and further growth at forest nurseries all over Europe; · introduce this system at strategic locations in Europe for just in time deliveries to all potential forest nurseries that could benefit of the new pre-cultivation system. For information, please contact: Dr Elisabetta Margheriti Vivai Torsanlorenzo Via Campo di Carne 51 00040 Tor San Lorenzo - Ardea (RM), Italy Tel.: 0039 06 91019005, Fax: 0039 06 91011602 E-mail: emargheriti(a)vivaitorsanlorenzo.it or visit the Web: www.vivaitorsanlorenzo.it, www.preforest.eu or Dr Marco Simeone DAF - Dip. Sci. Ambiente For. e Risorse Università degli Studi della Tuscia Via S. Camillo de Lellis 01100 Viterbo, Italy Tel.: 0039 0761 357411; Fax: 0039 0761 357250 E-mail: mcsimeone(a)unitus.it