iFF — Intelligent Future Forestry

Project team: Leonidas Matsakas (project leader)

Partners: Magnus Karlberg (Machine Design, LTU)

Duration: 2025-2026

Funded by: SUN ̶ Natural Resources for Sustainable Transitions

About the project:

This project pioneers a climate-adaptive forestry model that combines Continuous Cover Forestry and Mixed Forestry with cutting-edge autonomous technologies for biomass collection. By turning forest residues—such as bark, branches, and small-diameter wood often left behind after logging—into valuable resources, we aim to transform waste into opportunity. Our approach integrates advanced simulation frameworks for autonomous systems operating in uneven-aged, mixed-species forests, together with innovative biorefinery concepts to convert residual biomass into high-value products such as biomaterials, biofuels, and platform chemicals. The outcome: a proof-of-concept that not only supports sustainable forest management, but also creates new pathways for circular, bio-based economies.