Research

Dealing with the increasing volumes of damaged timber in Austria caused by climate change (2018: 50%, 2019: 62%, 2020: 54% of total felling) requires efficient, resilient and sustainable management to ensure the rapid processing and removal of damaged timber from the forest. This helps to prevent critical damage caused by the spread of bark beetles or losses in timber quality, and the associated price reductions, slumps in revenue and additional costs. In the field of damaged timber management, there is a lack of mature strategies for dealing with large-scale calamities that are coordinated between the various actors in the timber supply chain. For this reason, the FoReSt project is conducting specific analyses of experiences from past major forest damage events as well as the current state of damaged timber management in the province of Styria, Based on the results, coping strategies are being developed in participatory workshops with forestry and timber industry stakeholders, and concrete measures are being devised to improve the joint management of future damage events, with their planned implementation supported by the ‘Damaged Timber Styria’ roadmap to be developed.This involves assessing the logistical potential and developing management strategies for dealing with damaged timber, with a view to improving the long-term resilience of the damaged timber supply chain, as well as a package of measures to improve logistical processes in the main affected areas in the medium term. The individual work packages are being carried out with the close involvement of forestry practitioners, timber harvesting and freight companies (lorries and rail), and administrative bodies.

Pallets are an integral component of modern logistics and production processes and enable efficient flows of goods along global supply chains. The project addresses the product-specific greenhouse gas accounting for custom-made disposable wooden pallets, thereby filling a gap in the literature, as research to date has primarily focused on standardized pallets (e.g., EPAL) and comparisons between wooden and plastic pallets. The goal is to determine product carbon footprints (PCF) for various pallet types that differ in format, board thickness, load capacity, and thermal treatment. Methodologically, a life-cycle analysis with a “cradle-to-gate” system boundary is conducted. The analysis captures direct emissions (Scope 1) and indirect energy emissions (Scope 2) from production, as well as upstream and downstream activities (Scope 3) to a limited extent, with a focus on material origin and transport logistics. The key questions are: What PCF differences result from the various designs of the wooden pallets, and which factors significantly influence the PCF? The study is expected to yield differentiated emission profiles depending on material use, processing parameters, thermal treatment, and logistics pathways, as well as practical starting points for emission reduction and data-based support for corporate reporting obligations.

AutoForst seeks to address challenges in the forest wood supply chain through advanced automation of the individual process steps of the timber value chain. While recent progress has been made, particularly in the development of assistance systems, the level of automation in forestry remains relatively low. AutoForst aims to fully automate operational procedures, reducing the need for on-site personnel, especially in hazardous situations, and improving safety. The integration of automated technologies, such as cranes, trucks, and drones, will increase efficiency, with human intervention required only for tasks that machines cannot independently perform. Additionally, automation enables comprehensive traceability throughout the round timber value chain. By adopting sustainable propulsion systems, AutoForst ensures environmental sustainability and harnesses the local environment’s advantages, such as the potential for energy recuperation and the generation of green energy from renewable sources like hydroelectric power. AutoForst’s methodology focuses on overcoming the key scientific challenges related to implementing automation in the round timber value chain. This interdisciplinary approach includes advancements in image recognition algorithms, AI-based analysis, automotive and sensing technologies, navigation strategies, control algorithms for several systems, like drones, cranes and trucks, telemonitoring, fleet management, digitalization and sustainability efforts, all aimed at shaping the forestry of the future. Beyond the scientific and technological challenges, forestry environments present unique difficulties, such as changing climate and weather conditions, remote or hard-to-reach areas, and external factors like wind. These factors add complexity to the application of the researched and developed approaches of AutoForst, making it a distinctive and exceptional project that combines interdisciplinary in a truly unique way. AutoForst will integrate the results of scientific investigations, in collaboration with key industry players from leading Austrian companies, into functional prototypes that reflect the interdisciplinary approach. These prototypes will be validated in real-world forestry environments, demonstrating the feasibility of the technology and serving as a foundation for future advancements. Additionally, they will act as a platform for pursuing the certification of fully automated systems.