Today, the InnoRenew CoE hosted the project SINTETIC forum titled: Solutions for EUDR supporting stakeholders in the wood value chain. The “Single item identification for forest production, protection and management – SINTETIC”, is a Horizon Europe project, aiming to set up and demonstrate a traceability system for trees, logs and boards based on state-of-the-art ICT through a central Geodatabase covering the whole forest-based value chain.

Project partners organized the hybrid event to discuss about innovative traceability of logs from the forest to the sawmill, “first mile”, and traceability of timber within the sawmill and beyond. The event highlighted the detection of illegal logging and complete IT solutions for collecting information along the entire forest value chain with data mining services supporting the Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) requirements.

Participants were greeted by dr. Andreja Kutnar, InnoRenew CoE director, following by Gianni Picchi, project coordinator.

“In Slovenia, the EUDR might be perceived by many as yet another obstacle to the successful functioning of forestry and wood processing, as unnecessary bureaucratisation. However, at today’s event we saw that, alongside the data we need to collect to prove the legality of timber and the sustainability of forest management, we can also collect a lot of data on the quality of timber with just a little extra effort and investment. All this data can now be aggregated into information that will allow us to greatly improve the processing of timber, which can generate significant savings in this valuable raw material, while giving it a much higher value and usability. The question is whether we have the knowledge and skills to put these technological innovations into practice, even though this would not only meet the requirements of EUDR, but would also be a major step towards a green and digital transition and towards the implementation of the principles of the New European Bauhaus, as the sustainable production, processing and use of timber contributes significantly to mitigating the climate crisis. The InnoRenew CoE is involved in all of these initiatives, and I am pleased that at today’s event, representatives of the Slovenian Government (Ministries) stressed that they are aware of these challenges and opportunities, and that they will support the forest and wood sector’s efforts to develop in this direction through the upcoming calls for proposals,” said Dr. Andreja Kutnar.

The event brought together key stakeholders, industry experts, and policymakers to discuss sustainable solutions for the wood value chain. Critical challenges in implementing EUDR, including traceability from forests to sawmills, and integrating digital tools such as RFID and BIM into forestry management were addressed.

Experts presented innovative technologies that were developed in the framework of the SINTETIC project, and are aimed at improving compliance, enhancing data collection, and ensuring transparency in timber supply chains. Attendees also examined the possibility of implementing these solutions across different countries, emphasizing cost-effectiveness and further innovation in the wood value chain.

The event concluded with a discussion on whether EUDR can foster innovation in the wood sector, and identified challenges that need to be addressed.