Teaming for excellence – a prerequisite for sustainable forest management today: the role of Forest 4.0

Abstract

<p>Forest ecosystems and forestry face numerous challenges in the present day. These challenges arise from the increased use of timber and bioenergy, uncertainties brought about by climate change and efforts to mitigate it, the intricate dynamics of evolving global markets, rural depopulation, and the growing emphasis on the social values of forests. Effectively managing such a multidimensional system is only possible through the implementation of smart technologies. These technologies enable the acquisition and utilization of information on the processes occurring within and around forest ecosystems, as well as the prediction, prevention, or mitigation of potential risks. By integrating advanced digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and big data analytics, which together form the components of the Forest 4.0 concept, forest management practices could potentially find a solution to these challenges. However, the successful implementation of this concept requires collaborative efforts from a diverse range of actors. This presentation aims to introduce the approach of the recently launched Horizon Widera project Forest 4.0, which is being implemented by a team of Lithuanian and Swedish partners. The primary objective of this project is to establish a Centre of Excellence that will transform forest environment monitoring, data acquisition, and analysis, and extract value from the collected data. Lessons already learned and the challenges that lie ahead will be discussed based on the initial findings in the following research topics: IoT remote sensing and ubiquitous computing for the development of geospatial techniques; IoT monitoring and AI prediction techniques for the development of forest management systems and the detection of forest threats; crowdsourced forest based data management and visualization; AI techniques for cognitive sensing and multi-modal signals processing in IoT-based systems for predictive analytics; development of decision support tools to assess forest management practice; life cycle assessment and bioeconomic modelling tools for the identification and justification of sustainable forest-based business model innovations. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101059985. <p/>