European Forest City 2026 and international forest conference coming to Växjö
When Linnaeus University hosts the annual conference of the European Forest Institute (EFI) in 2026, the city of Växjö will simultaneously hold the title of European Forest City. Together, these initiatives will place forests, research and sustainable societal development at the centre of attention throughout the year.
“Hosting EFI’s annual conference in 2026 confirms the strength of our high-quality and societally relevant research and education related to forests. We combine perspectives ranging from sustainable forest management and timber engineering to social sciences and digitalization – a multidisciplinary environment that few universities can offer,” says Lars Behrenz, Deputy vice-chancellor at Linnaeus University.
Växjö awarded the title European Forest City 2026
The city of Växjö has been awarded the title European Forest City 2026 by the European Forest Institute (EFI).
In its motivation, EFI highlights how Växjö, through its strategy Sustainable Växjö 2030, has made the values of nature – forests, water environments and green infrastructure – a central part of the city’s development, both for climate action and for the quality of life of its citizens.
The award was formally presented during a ceremony in Växjö on 3 March, in the presence of an international delegation from EFI.
Collaboration between municipality, academia and industry
A key aspect highlighted in the award is the collaboration between the municipality, academia and innovation environments. Throughout the year, a broad programme of activities related to forests and wood will be organised in cooperation with regional and local partners.
Row 1 – Johan Berg, Johanna Palm, Johan Fransson
Row 2 – Björn Eliasson, Maria Engelbrektsson, Åsa Blom, Sofia Gustavsson, Johanna Witzell, Sofia Stynsberg (M)
Row 3 – Ulla Vänttinen, Per Sandberg, Catharina Rydberg Lilja, Pernilla Tornéus (M), Maria Garmer (V), Robert Mavsar