Table 2 Overview of most frequent strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats regarding strategic decision-making and management of storm damage by the forest-based sector (FBS) and public authorities (PA)

Strengths

• Strong operational know-how

• Financial capacity

• Strong empirical knowledge

• Legislative power

• Large body of scientific knowledge

• Regulatory levers

Weaknesses

• Reluctance to manage risks

• Lack of public risk governance

• Limited common strategy

• No integrated policy for forest risks

• Short versus long-term goals

• Unclear storm management strategy

• Private versus public behaviors

• Fragmented and unbalanced approach

• Lack of financial liquidity

• Complexity of cost-efficiency analyses

• Few long-term impact assessments

• Poor cooperation with other regions/states

• Share of knowledge (all levels)

• Staff, structures, and facilities

Opportunities

• Advanced decision support systems

• Advanced decision support systems

• Innovation capacity

• Innovation capacity in the FBS

• Development of ICT solutions

• Development of ICT solutions

• Higher expectations towards forest

• Societal expectations towards forests

• Coordination initiatives

• Increase of societal risk awareness

• Increasing scientific knowledge

• Advanced economic impact assessments

• Emergence of new markets

• Role of forests in climate mitigation

Threats

• Macro-economic context

• Macro-economic context

• Climatic and market uncertainties

• Public expectations

• Change resistance

• Change resistance

• Timber market disruption

• Shrinkage of financial resources

• Reduction of financial support

• Globalization of timber market

• Inappropriate legislation

• EU competition rules

• Rigid decisional framework

• Uncontrolled ideological issues

• Loss of experienced people

• Emotional management

• Lack of solidarity

• Uncertain impacts of climate change