Forest Asset Management

Multiple sources of pressure on forests are emerging. The growing global population need additional space and food. This creates competition for agricultural and grazing areas. It is evident that deforestation in some regions of the world is rising at an alarming rate. Obviously, the wood-based bioeconomy also increases the demand for forests to provide alternative fuels, chemicals, and plastic substitutes. To address these demands, it is evident that we require a long-term and sustainable forest assets management strategy.

Understanding the whole forest value chain

Underpinned by our understanding of the whole forest value chain Vision Hunters can help clients with the complex issues they are facing. Our expertise covers wood and land availability and wood sourcing analyses, e.g. in connection with new potential investments, and global plantation and native forest-based business. Vision Hunters offering also includes forest transaction advisory services, holistic wood supply planning and supply chain improvements, and strategic market analyses.

Changing climate conditions pressure operational adjustments

Acceleration of climate change forces plantation forestry to adjust operations to changing conditions caused by droughts, forest fires, pests, and floods. Growth expectations are altering, and seedlings need to be developed front-loaded, a few rotations ahead, to meet future requirements. In boreal forests the mild winters challenge the supply chain and pests are a problem both in North America and Europe.

Digitalization offers efficiency

Digitalisation is offering new opportunities for improving efficiency also in this sector and forestry operations today are highly automated from seedling to harvesting. Also, forest mapping and inventory management, which used to take days of manual labor, can today by done by using drones in a fraction of the time.

Harvesters have been collecting the data for decades, but the data link has disappeared at the wood yard gates. Technology for full automation of wood yards already exists, and the utilisation would enable tracking of the raw material from the forest to the end customer, increasing visibility throughout the value chain.