Forest Research Institute (FRI) belongs to the Hellenic Agricultural Organization – DEMETER (HAO – DEMETER), which is a Legal Entity of Private Law supervised by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food (MRDF).

The Institute was founded in 1962 and is located in Loutra Thermis (Vasilika), Thessaloniki, where it maintains a farm of about 300 hectares.

Today, the Forest Research Institute employs 19 researchers, seven staff members (technical, scientific, and administrative personnel), as well as numerous collaborating scientists.

The purpose of the research conducted at the Forest Research Institute is the management of forest ecosystems and their resources so that they retain their value and importance both for people and society as well as for nature and biodiversity.

Specifically, the research carried out in forests, forest lands, rangelands, and other natural ecosystems aims at the sustainable production of goods and services while taking into account nature conservation and biodiversity. By exploring appropriate management practices, the Institute seeks to address problems arising from modern threats such as the climate crisis. Over time, research results contribute to the conservation and protection of diversity, the development of innovation and expertise, the improvement of human quality of life, the sustainable development of local communities, and the economic growth of the country.

Research is carried out both in the Institute’s laboratories and in nature. It is implemented in collaboration with local government authorities, the Forest Service, ministries, as well as private entities and non-governmental environmental organizations. Moreover, the Institute has developed extensive partnerships with research organizations abroad, aiming at the exchange of expertise and the development of joint research methods for forest ecosystems in Greece, Europe, and globally. Additionally, the research conducted at the Institute contributes to the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students from many Greek and foreign universities.

Financial support for the research comes from the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, the European Union, and many other national and international bodies (both private and public).

The Institute’s significant expertise in forest management constitutes a valuable tool for addressing the needs of rural populations in Greece, while also supporting the strategies and policies of the country and the European Union concerning forests and the natural environment.

The main research directions of the Institute are:

• Functions and dynamic processes of forest ecosystems (climate–biosphere interaction, ecology, hydrology, plant ecophysiology, phytosociology)
• Forest management (sustainability, forest production, growth, spatial planning, forest products and certification)
• Protection of forest ecosystems from abiotic and biotic factors (extreme weather events, floods, fires, drought, pathogens, fungi, insects, nematodes)
• Forest hydrology, sustainable management of watersheds and water resources
• Rangelands and grassland ecosystems (ecology, improvement, management)
• Wildlife (biology, management, and conservation of mammals and birds)
• Restoration and rehabilitation of degraded and disturbed ecosystems
• Protected areas, recreational forests, and urban forestry
• Genetic improvement of forest and rangeland plants
• Forest policy and new technologies in forestry