Power in networks – the best digital sustainable forest practices collated in Europe
The European ROSEWOOD 4.0 project has brought together nearly 300 best digital sustainable forest practices on a single online platform. The project engages 21 participants from 18 different countries. The Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) has participated in two successive ROSEWOOD projects, and it presents the Motti software and the Biomass Atlas on the platform.
The largest forest network in Europe tackles regional weaknesses with best practices
The ROSEWOOD projects have identified the regional strengths and weaknesses of European forestry, and collated and shared best practices and innovation to promote the mobility and sustainable use of wood. Solutions for regional threats and weaknesses have been sought from best practices in other regions.
The ROSEWOOD 4.0 project has focused on collating best digital forest practices. The practices have been analysed and developed into thematic data factsheets on an online platform (www.forestinnovationhubs.rosewood-network.eu), which currently includes 279 best forest practices from across Europe. In addition to Luke’s Motti software and Biomass Atlas, the project includes various other practices from Finland.
Digital forest practices are collated to increase their visibility and use, and to even out any regional differences. The practices can be used by both forest operators, and education and development organisations.
Motti software predicts forest development
Luke’s Motti software serves to analyse and illustrate the impact of different forest growth programmes on tree development, felling volumes and financial profitability. The Motti software supports practical decision-making, information services and education.
Motti is intended for everyone interested in comparing different forest growth options, and it is available for downloading on Luke’s website. Customised Motti software solutions are also delivered to different forest industry parties according to their specific needs. The service is available in Finnish and English.
Biomass Atlas makes biomass available to everyone
Coordinated by Luke, the Biomass Atlas project (projects.luke.fi) produces information on biomass in agriculture and forestry, and develops and maintains a biomass database, in which the information is available in geospatial data format using the map service (projects.luke.fi).
The easy-to-use service includes information on land use, forest resources, felling side streams, crop production and its side streams, manure, and biodegradable industrial and municipal waste and sludge. The map service is available in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Resources can be viewed as visual data through the map interface, which also enables the analysis of data. For example, a company that uses forest chips obtained as side streams of forestry can look for alternative locations for its production plant by calculating the potential volume of biomass surrounding each location over different transport distances.
The Biomass Atlas has attracted interest among several European organisations in the ROSEWOOD 4.0 project. Most recently, it was demonstrated during a project visit in Finland as requested by the project’s partners.
Luke participating in ROSEWOOD network since 2018
Closing at the end of June 2022, the ROSEWOOD4.0 project has as its participants 15 EU member states, as well as Norway, Switzerland and Ukraine.
Lapland University of Applied Sciences participates in the project from Finland alongside Luke. The project members represent the regional administration, clusters, universities, development, research and advisory organisations, and general European institutions. The ROSEWOOD 4.0 network’s activities will be continued and expanded after the project. The ROSEWOOD 4.0 project is funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe 2020 research and innovation programme.
This article was originally published in Finnish by Kari Mäkitalo (Senior Scientist), Vesa Nivala (Specialist) and Jaakko Repola (Research Scientist), members of the ROSEWOOD4.0 consortium who work at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). Read the article in its original language here.
