Adequate and accessible expert-based forest information has become increasingly in demand for effective decisions and informed policies in the forest and forest-related sectors in Europe. Such accessibility requires a collaborative environment and constant information exchange between various actors at different levels and across sectors. However, information exchange in complex policy environments is challenging, and is often constrained by various institutional, actor-oriented, and technical factors. In forest policy research, no study has yet attempted to simultaneously account for these multiple factors influencing expert-based forest information exchange. By employing a policy analysis from an actor-centred institutionalist perspective, this paper aims to provide an overview of the most salient institutional and actor-oriented factors that are perceived as constraining forest information exchange at the national level across European countries. We employ an exploratory research approach, and utilise both qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse our data. The data was collected through a semi-structured survey targeted at forest and forest-related composite actors in 21 European countries. The results revealed that expert-based forest information exchange is constrained by a number of compound and closely interlinked institutional and actor-oriented factors, reflecting the complex interplay of institutions and actors at the national level. The most salient institutional factors that stand out include restrictive or ambiguous data protection policies, inter-organisational information arrangements, different organisational cultures, and a lack of incentives. Forest information exchange becomes even more complex when actors are confronted with actor-oriented factors such as issues of distrust, diverging preferences and perceptions, intellectual property rights, and technical capabilities. We conclude that expert-based forest information exchange is a complex and challenging task. It is driven by actors’ preferences/interests, perceptions, and capabilities, and is shaped by formal rules and social norms.

The importance of trust has been widely acknowledged as a major antecedent and a constitutive element of information exchange in policy networks. The ultimate objective of the present article is to understand whether and how trust is a factor explaining patterns of limited information exchange between forestry and nature conservation actors in forest policy networks in Europe. Drawing upon analytical insights of actor-centered institutionalism (ACI) and building upon a qualitative network analysis (QNA) as a research strategy, the study focuses on the German forest policy network in order to provide deeper insights into the cooperative (i.e., generalized trust) and competitive (i.e., generalized distrust) orientations of forestry and nature conservation actors. The results reveal trust issues with respect to forest information, which can be framed according to the interests of forestry and nature conservation actors and used as a discursive weapon, softly steering them in a particular direction. The underlying causes of the trust issues are deeply rooted in conflicts of interests and power, preventing from exchanging forest information among forestry and nature conservation actors. It is therefore argued that forest information should be understood as a political asset rather than a neutral and objective form of expertise. This could explain persistent trust issues and conflicts among forestry and nature conservation actors when it comes to the exchange of forest information in the context of European forest policy networks.

In Germany, modern digital technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) have been increasingly promoted for better environmental and natural resources management through “smart” monitoring and real-time data. However, adopting such advanced technologies is complex and brings a wide array of risks and challenges, and it remains unclear whether local actors are in fact willing and sufficiently equipped to adopt them. Using the Motivations and Abilities (MOTA) framework, and quantitative data collection and analysis methods, this study explores the motivations and abilities of German local (governmental) actors by focusing on the adoption of IoT-based forest and water monitoring systems. The findings reveal an early-stage adoption of IoT environmental monitoring, with limited awareness and no plans for adoption. The lack of willingness, however, is not attributed to a lack of motivation; it is, rather, influenced by perceived insufficient financial and technical capacities and resources. This study provides novel insights for understanding the complex relationship between actors’ behavior and the adoption of advanced digital technologies in the realm of environmental and natural resources management. The results provide a robust foundation for future research, and inform policy and practice aimed at facilitating digitalized natural resources management.