Regional/sub-national

The Center of Excellence for Forestry 4.0 is developing Industry 4.0 digitalization concepts for the forest and wood cluster. The driving force behind this approach is a closely cooperating working group of companies, research centers and the Forestry Education Center  North-Rhine Westphalia as a practical testbed.New, intelligent and decentrally acting machines, devices, services and people, will enable the cluster to optimize its complex value-added networks, develop new business models and meet current challenges from ecology, economy and climate change. Existing approaches address the complexity of structures and processes, and the conflicting demands on forest management only insufficiently. To "smartify" the forest and wood cluster, existing competencies from industry, science and administration must be bundled: The goal of KWH4.0 is to create a know-how base and infrastructures, and to implement forest and wood 4.0 components via innovative Smart Forest Labs. The Smart Forest Labs serve as experimental forestry laboratories in which developed components, systems and processes are tested, standardization advanced, concepts disseminated, and actors trained. Developed concepts and standards are continuously published as practical recommendations, a first version of the communication infrastructure S3I (Internet of Things application) has been established. In addition, there is an increasingly smart fleet: forestry machines have been upgraded to retrieve digital information (GPS position, fuel consumption, production data, etc.) and at the same time networked via alternative radio standards with machines in regions where mobile communication is not possible.

A lack of forest site information in Styria created a need for a new approach to forest site classification and mapping, considering the changing climatic conditions, which will affect the classification of forest sites and the choice of tree species. Theoretical concepts for a new approach in "dynamic site classification" existed, but the implementation of an integrated site and forest classification in for the whole forest area in Styria has been a scientific challenge. In this project the forest site classification is based on a GIS-based geo-ecological stratification model. The database is based on a digital elevation model, a geological base map, digitally available site and climate data as well as empirical site parameters. A map of forest types is derived based on several thematic maps, including information about energy, water and nutrient balance. Those parameters are modeled on the basis of point and area related data, which are then combined into forest types with a uniform combination of factors. The model allows a stratification of the forest types on all sites based on digital geo-ecological parameters. In addition to the ecological facts, each forest type is characterized by a description of silvicultural guidelines containing information on the appropriate choice of tree species, potential hazards and adaptation methods. These guidelines also describe previous experiences with the tree species and their mixtures, and will provide recommendations for the future forest management with regard to climate change.

By setting up these Wood MAKER spaces we want to promote wood as manufacturing and building material, as well as fostering local wood manufacturing as a real opportunity to generate local businesses and improve forest land-owners economies. We see that currently many broad-leaf species woods are being addressed to low-value uses, which causes employment and welfare losses at rural communities 4 Maker spaces are planned to be set up each in the 4 galician provinces. These centers will be open to all kinds of profiles interested on making a good use of local timbers, meaning non-expert and expert users to make all kinds of projects from DIY kind to professional commercialization projects. These spaces would make available a variety of services: wood manufacturing service (from wood log to semi or finished products), innovation service, design service, commercialization service, business digitalization among others.

The business idea is to build interior with recycled oak. The wood is mainly sourced from traditional European timbered houses. Special: wine press beams in giant size XXL up to 7 m long, in 45 - 45 cm dimension

Small but interesting niche market with high product prices.

Unique antique wood planks for wood panelling, for timber facades or visible roof construction and table tops from old oak wood.

The business idea is to gather used timber from castles, monasteries or old estates. The timber is being cleaned and nails are pulled out; no drying before delivery

It seems that there is a growing (niche) market for really old used wood to use for modern housing and interieur.

The product ranges from:
Old spruce timber (original surfaces)
Old spruce/oak timber (freshly chopped)
Old spruce timber (rough sawn surfaces)
Beams and rafters from old spruce /oak timber
3-layer-boards from old spruce/oak timber
Sawn old spruce/oak timber
House façades from old spruce timber

The business idea is to produce wall panellings and floor boards made from old timber

Recycled wood is an interesting niche

With experienced processes there can be unique products with character achieved. And furthermore coloured products available

Careful selection of old, reclaimed timber Dismantling and professional preparation for the international sale Marks of machining and wear as well as natural weathering create unique, original surfaces Traces of old world craftsmanship and elaborate woodworking methods and use are stored There is an interesting niche market for unique old wood. Unique wood with history and character is prepared and run for a second use High-quality, ecologically valuable, lasting value and sustainable Mostly processed manually, sorted and packaged Also supply of raw materials, semi-finished products to finished, ready to lay products and tailor-made solutions

This project was one of the longest wooden bridges of this type in Germany that supports heavy vehicle traffic:
Approach bridges are made of spruce glulam (laminated) in form of timber-concrete composite
Construction creates a large shore area that ensures a rapid drainage in case of floods
The arch beams made of glulam fit in the natural environment

Wood is a suitable material also for big and long bridges in combination with other materials and with profound wood protection.

 Innovative solutions for constructive wood protection
The arch bridge is laterally covered with larch. The upper side is covered with a titanium zinc sheet.
Concepts for the subsequent use of the wood for the bridge within the framework of cascade use of wood were established

Applications like forest inventory and forestry planning, planning of fellings, optimization of harvesting and accounting processes, improvements of timber logistic, evaluation of damaging events etc. are expecting a realistic virtual illustration of the real forest. Within this project the preconditions for building up a single central database – the Virtual Forest - describing the extensive area of North Rhine-Westphalia are constructed. This database contains a mathematical description of biological and technical aspects of the real forest in different detailing (e.g. forest and single-tree consideration) and different precision. Apart from available terrestrial data and a digital site classification, developed by the Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz NRW, the Virtual Forest is based on remote sensing data and information derived thereof. It applies newly developed algorithms on well-known data formats: for single tree identification laser data and aerial images are used, tree species classification uses images and area segmentation is based on raster and vector data. Thus, a comprehensive survey ranging from inventory to forest growth to logistics can be provided. The Virtual Forest provides all stored data in a new 4D geo-data infrastructure while using standardised interfaces. All data (basic data, derived data, technical data, etc.) can also be used by third (programmes, users). Furthermore, a meta-data catalogue answers questions as “Which data of a certain area and/or to a specific subject are placed in which format, which exactness and which actuality at what costs at which place?” Appropriate safety concepts secure the data access as well as the data itself. The consequent consideration of the factor “time” transforms the 2D- or rather 3D- into a 4D-GIS based on a 4D geo-data infrastructure – the basis for a “time machine”. This enables the user to look at the forest at different (historical or future) conditions. The Virtual Forest serves as a foundation for abstracts of different economy units, which are from case to case both business and economically profitable, and with it for the management of larger amounts of wood at lower costs.

The information sheets of the LWF summarize the latest research findings for practical application. They are of interest for foresters, forest workers, forest owners and interested private persons.

The information sheets of the LWF contributes to a better forest culture and professionalization even in small scale forest ownership structure and is printed and published also in Internet.

Approach in the selected example:
Description of the different options to form a processing chain for the supply of wood chips (harvesting, logging/stocking, chopping, transport), with regard to the kind and the amount of wood available
Instruction for measuring the amount of wood chips based on the estimation of the stock volume
Sustainability: Recommendation to use branches and tree tops for wood chips only dependent of the location à should not be used in locations poor of nutrients. The withdrawal of nutrients can be decreased by debranching and removal of the tree tops à nutrients stay in the ecosystem and growth is maintained. Additionally, the quality of the wood chips increases and revenues can be higher