## 4 Discussion
Besides its applications in low technology traditional handcraft, wood waste may substantially contribute to the CBE through the activation of virtuous up-cycling and cascading processes, following the biomass value pyramid principles [5]. Accordingly, chemistry research is putting strong emphasis on the evaluation of wood as a source of polymers and molecules [16]. To illustrate, wood waste may be a valuable resource in the creation of innovative materials: bioplastics [2]; LED screens and 3D printers based on cellulose nanomaterials [51]; pharmaceuticals, biolubricants and bio-solvents based on lignin [52]; and glues, foams for thermal and acoustic insulation, various adsorbents for the treatment of wastewaters contaminated with heavy metals, dyes, surfactants, and for tannins-based air pollution control [16]. Based on this potential, the latest circular bioeconomy policies suggest the application of advanced technological processes in order to upcycle biobased materials, to innovate the forest-wood sector, and to prepare it for future environmental and economic challenges. However, adopting CBE strategies in forest-wood supply chains is doomed to face several barriers in contexts that lack proper resources and a suitable business environment. The current study has sought to obtain an insight into the potential of future CBE avenues in disadvantaged Italian forest areas, with an analysis based on key informant interviews in the Salerno province. By means of an inductive process, the investigation led us to discover main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and the most suitable transition strategies to implement CBE models in the territory at hand. Findings have shown that the Salerno area is believed to own a set of beneficial structural assets to build upon for innovating the forest-wood sector. The well-established position of the sector in the traditional local economy, also due to natural peculiarities, such as the presence of wide geographical areas covered with high-value tree species, make the Salerno territory an appropriate context in which to invest and innovate. This is accompanied by the fact that sustainable woodland planning and a high compliance with the standards for environmental certifications may be a managerial background for the economic valorization of the products of the territory. More specifically, products coming from novel CBE strategies could benefit not only the market interest for circularity, but also benefit attributes related to the virtuous stewardship of local forest areas. External policy and institutional factors, particularly related to RDP funds and other financial resources, may also support local actors to create the fundamental assets required for the CBE transition, such as well-trained human resources, advanced technological instruments, and structured collaborations among business actors and research institutions. Despite the assets and prospects mentioned above, the Salerno province is far from having started ideal CBE pathways that are able to maximize the economic value of wood waste. Thus, the Salerno province shows shortcomings similar to other Italian territories, as well as to other disadvantaged forest areas. In these contexts, the forest industry is slow to accommodate and integrate research advancements, as investments in technological and organizational capabilities for wood waste valorization are prevented by high capital requirements and inadequate institutional support. As a result, the forest residue value chain is still underdeveloped. In particular, the forest-wood sector of the Salerno province has, in recent years, seen the devaluation of the economic potential of wood resources, due to their increasing adoption only as fuelwood for energy purposes. Somewhat ironically, it is not only wood residues that follow energy valorization, but main assortments are often also degraded in this direction.