Expressions of Interest – ForestTECH 2018

ForestTECH is this region’s premier technology series. It’s run for Australasia’s forest resource managers, planners, inventory foresters and GIS and mapping specialists by the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA). Since 2007, it’s the one event every year that focuses on this particular part of the forestry industry. Forest owners, forestry mangers, key researchers and technology providers are also now picking up the opportunity of building in their own client meetings, workshops and discussion groups around the event.

Last year we had over 270 delegates attended the ForestTECH series. All major forestry companies in Australia and New Zealand were represented along with representatives from major Indonesian and South African companies.

The focus for ForestTECH 2017 was “unlocking the true value of data”. New systems for better measuring, managing and analysing this information were reviewed. Emphasis was also put on research findings from in-forest trials and a three-year, AU$1.8 million collaborative research project on remote sensing jointly funded by Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA), forestry companies, universities and government.

What’s planned for 2018?

Key themes for this year’s event will include;

– Storage, processing and management of “big data”
– The practical application of automation, robotics and sensors by forest managers
– Integrating virtual and augmented reality into forestry operations
– Results and lessons from reconciling remote sensing data into the field
– New innovations in mobile forest apps and collection tools
– Mobile communications advances in more remote locations
– Results from remote sensing research and in-forest trials
– Workflow solutions for data collected from airborne and UAV systems
– New mapping and GIS applications
– Changing skill sets required by today’s forest resource managers

Already a number of leading offshore companies (researchers and tech suppliers from Canada, the USA and Europe) have put up their hand to be involved in ForestTECH 2018. At this stage, we are now calling for expressions of interest for presenting at this year’s November series. It’s planned to run in Rotorua, New Zealand on 14-15 November and then again in Melbourne, Australia on 20-21 November.

Further details can be found on the event website. Information on exhibition opportunities will be sent out in the next month or so. If interested in presenting this year, please contact the Programme Manager, brent.apthorp@fiea.org.nz BEFORE Friday 29 June.