Brief History

The Forest Research Institute (FRI) was founded in 1961 by Decree No. 4/2-1-61 and initially operated as the Forest Research Station of Macedonia-Thrace.  Its first areas of research activity were the cultivation and production of improved poplar clones as well as the ecology and improvement of mountain pastures.

In 1965, the Loutra Thermi farm, covering 291 acres, was acquired, and the Ministry of Agriculture granted the use of the farms of Chrysopigi, Serres, Strymonas and Axios. The station’s work was remarkable and established the “foundation stone” for its evolution into today’s multidisciplinary Institute.

In 1966, under Presidential Decree 810/66 it was renamed the Forest Research Center of Northern Greece and was expanded to include new research disciplines (Entomology, Soil Science and Hydrology). In 1977, under Article 125 of Presidential Decree 433/77 on the Organization of the Ministry of Agriculture and in accordance with Opinion 215/8-7-77 of the Technical Council of Forests it was renamed the Forest Research Institute of Thessaloniki with the following research areas:

Sector of Silviculture and Forest Genetics 

Sector of Forest Site Science

Sector of Forest Hydrology

Sector of Forest Protection

Sector of Forest Products Technology

Sector of Rangeland Management

Sector of Poplar

Sector of Forest Management and Economics 

Sector of Forestry Engineering

In 1988, Government Gazette 187/26-8-1988 P.D. No. 402/Article 34, it was renamed the Forest Research Institute  with the following description: The Forest Research Institute, headquartered in Thermi, Thessaloniki and with jurisdiction over the entire country, conducts research on the problems of Greek forestry and the conditions of Greek forests, promotes the increase in the production of wood and other forest products, supports the expansion of the country’s forest resources and the protection of forests from biotic threats, improves harvesting techniques for forest products, studies mountain hydrology and manages mountain watersheds and works to enhance the productivity of mountain pastures.

In 1989, in its existing form, it was incorporated into the newly established ETHIAGE. established under Law 1845/1989 (Government Gazette 102 A). On 27 September 1995, the Board of Directors of ETHIAGE approved the establishment of the following eight sectors and one department for the FRI:

Sector of Silviculture and Forest Genetics 

Sector of Landscape Architecture, Recreation and Environmental Restoration 

Sector of Forest Environment Protection

Sector of Forest Ecology

Sector of Hydrology

Sector of wood Utilization and Forest Products Technology

Sector of Forest Management and Economics 

Sector of Pasture and Wildlife Management

Department of Administrative and Financial Services 

In 2001, under Law 2945/2001 (Government Gazette 223 A) and Joint Ministerial Decision 1378/B/26-9-2003 (Government Gazette JMD 264757/19-9-2003), the organizational and research structure of the ETHIAGE and consequently the Forest Research Institute was restructured. Specifically, the multidisciplinary Forest Research Institute is organized into the following laboratories:

Laboratory of Harvesting and Forest Products Technology

Laboratory of Silviculture, Genetics, and Biotechnology

Laboratory of Forest Ecophysiology, Soil Science, and Hydrology

Laboratory of Forest Ecosystem and Fire Protection

Laboratory of Grassland Resources

Laboratory of Forest Management and Economics

Laboratory of Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Management

Finally, in 2011, under the Joint Decision No. 188763/10.10.2011 (Government Gazette 2284 B’/13.10.2011) of the Ministers of Finance and Rural Development & Food, a new Organization the “HELLENIC AGRICULTURAL ORGANIZATION – DIMITRA” was established. ETHIAGE was merged into this organization along with other bodies supervised by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, and the Forest Research Institute now operates under its authority.