RETECHFOR – Technological and Territorial Network for Forest Monitoring and Environmental Disaster Mitigation as Drivers of the Forest Bioeconomy

Project Description:

AG-RETECHFOR has been designed as a proposal that integrates both R&D solutions and high-TRL solutions to provide immediate services to forest owners, managers, and industry. The deliverables will act as enablers for the Regional Government of Castilla y León and the region’s forestry sector, structured into five work packages: Coordination, Data Space, Cross-cutting and enabling technological solutions for the forestry sector, Technological solutions to strengthen the forest bioeconomy, and Dissemination and communication.

This work plan develops research and functional prototypes in various enabling technologies for digital transformation and artificial intelligence in the forestry sector.

Main Objective:

The main objective of this proposal is the development of digital solutions to serve as accelerator tools for improving the management, planning, and conservation of forest resources in Castilla y León, with the ultimate aim of revitalizing the forest bioeconomy and, in turn, generating employment in the rural areas of Castilla y León.

General Objectives:

OG1 – Avanzar en digitalización de la DGPyPF, para ayudar en su gestión, análisis y explotación de la información que utilizan bajo sus competencias.
OG2 – Fomentar la actividad económica del sector primario y secundario forestal, y de servicios, basado en las cadenas de valor de la madera, así como de otros recursos del bosque.
OG3 – Alinear el doble objetivo planteado de transición digital y verde como pilares para transformar la economía rural entorno a los bosques y reducir los impactos de los desastres ambientales, especialmente los incendios forestales, promoviendo un nuevo modelo más robusto y resiliente para afrontar los cambios y conseguir entornos socioeconómicos sostenibles.

Specific Objectives:

SO1 – Enhance the digital capabilities of DGPyPF technicians and managers by providing more advanced and interoperable technological solutions than the current ones.
SO2 – Introduce disruptive enabling technologies related to Artificial Intelligence processes and advanced data analysis for application to the forestry sector, its industry, and associated ecosystems, especially in continuous monitoring, prevention, early warning, and management of forest fire suppression and other natural emergencies or disasters.
SO3 – Provide the public and private sectors with digital solutions using interoperable standards, enabling both parties to supply and receive the necessary technical information for various use cases in fire prevention and suppression, forest resource use, certification, and management and planning.
SO4 – Research innovative technologies to study the cost/benefit of their implementation, especially those related to robotics and computer vision.
SO5 – Create an entrepreneurship and technological development ecosystem that acts as a spearhead and model at the national level.
SO6 – Convert the project results into demonstrator solutions for other Autonomous Communities through dissemination activities.