Green growth for the North Karelian bioeconomy sought through digital transformation of forest services
There are approximately 300 companies in North Karelia operating in the field of forest services. The newly started NOMADI project will support the growth of these companies and the whole sector by seeking new solutions through the digitalization of forest services.
– In this project, new marketing and business concepts for the forest services sector will be developed. NOMADI will support the creation of new solutions that utilize digitalization, says Leena Leskinen from the Finnish Forest Centre.
– Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, digital tools have been adapted by many new actors. This creates possibilities for marketing and selling forest services in a new way and reaching new customer groups. For instance, for remote private forest owners, digitally supported forest management service packages are expected to be a solution to their needs, adds Diana Tuomasjukka from the European Forest Institute.
Finnish forest inventories and the data produced by them are globally remarkable. Forest inventory data has been utilized by digitalizing and mechanizing timber trade, harvesting and transportation.
– In terms of forest management, digitalization and the benefits gained through it are partially not implemented. In the current transition, there is potential to change the need for forest management to an actual demand for these services and through that, rapidly create growth in the region, comments Ville Kankaanhuhta from the Natural Resources Institute Finland.
Rapid green growth for forest management services is being sought at three levels:
1) Creating new marketing and business concepts that are based on existing technologies by applying them to the current circumstances.
2) Supporting new bioeconomy startups and the scale-up of innovations. The project will also support the accession of interested companies to the Bioregions network facilitated by EFI, which will strengthen bio-economic cooperation between European regions.
3) Enhancing the export of existing technologies and know-how, focusing on climate solutions. Digital solutions will be presented in a virtual showroom together with different partners.
NOMADI is funded by the Regional Council of North Karelia through the European Regional Development Fund as a part of the European Union’s COVID-19 activities (REACT-EU).
More information: Diana Tuomasjukka, firstname.lastname@efi.int
Photo: ©sveta /AdobeStock
