Real-world labs for digital transformation in forestry

Abstract

Forests play a central role in our ecosystem and have a major influence on our climate, biodiversity, and quality of life. According to the Forest Condition Report, only one in five trees is currently considered healthy. Climate change and environmental stressors like heat and drought challenge forests globally, making protection and adaptation essential. Digital technologies offer new opportunities for sustainable forest management, with real-world labs (RWLs) playing a key role. RWLs allow to test innovative solutions in real environments and foster collaboration between scientists, policymakers, businesses and the public. In the form of a case study, we employ an RWL approach for digitization in forestry, which uses IoT sensors to monitor forests and collect data. Transdisciplinary workshops bring together diverse stakeholders to discuss these technologies and co-create solutions. This paper summarizes the RWL experiences in this context, summarizing results and experiences