SEK 6.5 million to forest research
The Södra Research Foundation has decided to grant an additional SEK 6,5 million to research projects linked to forestry and the forest industry. Funding has been granted to nine different projects.
One of these projects is “Operational forest mapping with drones and artificial intelligence,” which aims to develop methods for using drones and artificial intelligence to create automatic and instantaneous maps for forestry.
“Drone technology is now highly developed, and a useful tool for forestry applications. This project is taking the next step forward by using automatic image recognition, which was originally developed for artificial intelligence, to advance the technology. This could lead to new applications in, for example, forest management plans and the documentation of conservation considerations. We are only at the beginning of the digital journey, and there are many possibilities for modern forestry,” said Göran Örlander, Chairman of the Södra Research Foundation and forestry strategist at Södra.
Funding was also granted to “Digitised energy management platform,” a project to produce methods and tools for facilitating and optimising efforts to improve energy efficiency in the pulp industry.
“Energy efficiency is an important area, and our sector has come a long way due to investments in technology and systematic energy management. A new digital platform for collecting, processing and analysing data could provide further opportunities for the industry to visualise and optimise its production processes,” said Catrin Gustavsson, Board member of the Södra Research Foundation and Head of Innovation and New Business at Södra.
Other projects granted funding span a wide range of forest industry-related topics, including how cone production can be increased in spruce seed orchards and possibilities for creating new material from cellulose-based particles.
| Project | Grant | Researcher | Organisation |
| Grant to the Jubileumsfond foundation for securing publication of the Nordic Pappershistorisk Tidskrift magazine | SEK 50,000 | Lennart Eriksson | Nordisk Pappershistorisk Förening |
| Log price in leafy stands – development of new bark function and evaluation of precision measurement for birch | SEK 350,000 | Björn Hannrup | Forestry Research Institute of Sweden |
| Digitised energy management platform | SEK 874,500 | Tomas Kindstedt | Nordic Energy Audit |
| A new method for increasing cone production in spruce seed orchards | SEK 1,100,000 | Olle Rosenberg | Forestry Research Institute of Sweden |
| Aero/xerocellulose particles for the “release” of functional substances | SEK 728,000 | Fernando Alvarado | RISE/Innventia |
| Are ownership rights to forest land being eroded? | SEK 800, 000 | Ingemar Bengtsson | Lund University |
| Thinning programs in Norway spruce and Scots pine stands in southern Sweden | SEK 1,000,000 | Ignacio Barbeito Sanchez | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
| Economic value of selected spruce seedlings in southern Sweden for various reproduction methods | SEK 540,000 | Mats Berlin | Forestry Research Institute of Sweden |
| Operational forest mapping with drones and artificial intelligence | SEK 1,000,000 | Jonas Bohlin | Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences |
The total amount of funding granted was SEK 6,442,500.
For more information, please contact:
Göran Örlander, Chairman of the Södra Research Foundation and forestry strategist at Södra
Tel: 070 – 590 94 83
E-mail: goran.orlander@sodra.com
Catrin Gustavsson, Board member of the Södra Research Foundation and Head of Innovation and New Business at Södra.
Tel: +46 (0)72-574 32 23
E-mail: Catrin.Gustavsson@sodra.com
Södra’s Pressroom
Tel: +46 (0)470-890 90
E-mail:press@sodra.com
| Facts The mission of the Södra Foundation for Research, Development and Education is to promote research and education of significance to forestry, and forest industry operations, in Southern Sweden.The projects that receive funding include fields of research and development that are relevant and important for both forestry and the forest industry. Since the inception of the Foundation in 1995, about 150 research projects have received grants. The findings of the research projects have been significant both from a social perspective, and for the forest industry.The Foundation holds four Board meetings per year, at which grant applications are considered. Information about the rules for applying for funding from the Foundation is available at www.sodra.com. |
Södra was founded in 1938 and is the largest forest-owner association in Sweden, with a membership of more than 51,000 forest owners. We engage in modern and responsible forestry, and operate state-of-the-art mills in which we process our raw material. Net sales in 2017 were 20.5 SEK billion and there were 3,400 employees. Through value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, Södra is leading the way for the future of sustainable forestry.
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