SFI SmartForest is looking back on an intensive year 2023!
The SmartForest consortium consists of the most important actors in the Norwegian forest sector, covering the value chain from the planted seedling to the mill gate, combined with leading research institutions in Norway and abroad.
We are a growing team which is fully enhanced in creating results from our activities to be used and implemented by our partners to achieve SmartForest’s aim: to improve the efficiency of the Norwegian forest sector by enabling a digital revolution that transforms forest information, silviculture, forest operations, wood supply, and the overall digital information flow in the sector.
Some highlights from last year:
- To create innovation is one of the main credos for SFIs. In 2023, 6 new DOFIs were submitted for innovative solutions created within SmartForest.
- A demonstration area was established to develop and showcase the digital value chain by implementing technologies and methods developed in the various work packages. Here, data is collected along the value chain that is or will be integrated into our cloud-based platform, ForestSens. This demonstration area will, in the future, be able to illustrate the cumulative effect
of digitizing a wide range of processes along the value chain. - In 2023, we expanded our team and hired three Postdocs and three PhD andidates. Three master’s students finished their studies within SmartForest.
- We continued the success with our internal conference “SmartForest Days” happening in September 2023, a lunch-to lunch event with participants from all
industry partners. The event was a platform for sharing research findings, discussing innovative ideas, and fostering collaboration. - Several researchers were on “partner visits” at the industry partners within SmartForest for an even better understanding of the different needs and challenges of different partners and,
at the same time, enhancing the understanding for collaboration possibilities. - We established a meeting platform for the industry partners, the “Digitalization forum”, a round table where partners meet regularly for discussion and collaboration on common solutions for a strong Foresttech sector in Norway!
We are looking forward to a new, exciting year in SmartForest, and 2024 will be the year of scientific output and implementation of innovation, enhancing the partner’s ambitions for applying technology and innovative solutions to support sustainable forest management in Norway.