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UdeC and Embassy of Finland Promote Smart and Sustainable Forestry at Strategic Seminar

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The Faculty of Forest Sciences at the University of Concepción (UdeC) will host the seminar "Global Challenges and Opportunities for a Sustainable Forestry Sector: Finland's Experience in Smart Forestry," an event that will feature the participation of the Embassy of Finland (Business Finland) and prominent institutions in the field.

The event aims to establish a roadmap towards a more efficient, innovative, and environmentally respectful forestry sector, focusing on the transfer of knowledge and advanced technologies for the sustainability of forest production.

The Ambassador of Finland to Chile, Johanna Kotkajärvi, will deliver the inaugural speech titled "Shared Roots: The Finnish Footprint in the Chilean Forest," where she is expected to highlight the historic forestry relationship between both nations and Finland's role as a global benchmark in sustainable forest management, a topic that will be further explored by Lotta Kettunen. This initial framework underscores the importance of international collaboration to address the challenges of the forestry sector.

The first block will address crucial topics for Chilean development. Promotion policies for the afforestation and reforestation of SMEs will be presented by Alfonso del Rio of the National Forestry Service of Chile, Sernafor.

Additionally, Professor at the University of Concepción and member of the National Center of Excellence for the Wood Industry (Cenamad), Dr. Rosa María Alzamora, will explore the potential of "Wood as the Basis of the Bioeconomy: From Plantations to Bioproducts." The segment will be completed with a presentation on international financing instruments by Diogo Ribeiro of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), offering a comprehensive overview of the resources and strategies available for modernization.

The second block will focus on "Innovative Solutions for Smart Forestry," with Tomás Pacheco from Business Finland presenting the strategic vision and applied technologies in Finnish Smart Forestry.

The event will continue with two extensive panels that will group technological solutions from Finland applicable to Chilean SMEs. These panels will include subtopics such as Harvest Optimization / Automation and Sensorization, with experts from Ponsse and Tamtron, and Wood Construction and Bioproducts, with the participation of Dr. Laura Zubillaga from Aalto University (Finland).

The second part of the panels, moderated by Alejandro Casagrande from Corma Biobío-Ñuble, will address Digital Certification and Traceability, and Processing and Energy Valorization, highlighting the relevance of digitalization and the sustainable use of byproducts. The seminar will conclude with closing remarks by Dr. Rosa María Alzamora from the Faculty of Forest Sciences at UdeC.