Between 26 and 29 March, CoLAB ForestWISE was present at Futurália 2025 – the largest national fair dedicated to education, training and employability – with a stand where innovation and technology gave voice to the forest of the future.
With a narrative carefully designed to highlight the multiple professional opportunities in forestry, the stand highlighted the challenges of integrated forest and fire management, emphasising the growing importance of forestry engineering and the strategic role of innovation in the sustainability of territories.
Organised into themed areas, our CoLAB space allowed visitors to explore, for example, the use of drones in forest monitoring, the impact of fires through fire severity mapping, and the application of technological tools in forest inventory. The experience culminated in an interactive quiz with prizes, which involved more than 250 participants and served to reinforce the messages given.
One of the areas that most captured the public’s attention was the virtual reality area, where visitors could explore the forest value chain in an immersive way. In the Non-Timber Forest Products area, innovative solutions developed with resin and cork derivatives for sectors such as footwear, textiles, automobiles and food were presented.
The stand also featured contributions from several associates and partners, such as Amorim, REN, Simoldes, Resipinus, Tecmeat, Tintex, the Portuguese Footwear Technology Centre, Think Pack and Altri Florestal, demonstrating how science and industry work together to enhance the Portuguese forest.
The main purpose of CoLAB ForestWISE’s participation in Futurália was to bring young people closer to technology applied to the forest, reinforcing the attractiveness of careers linked to sustainability and the energy transition. With a team prepared to answer the public’s main questions, the stand stood out for its ability to communicate clearly, helping to strengthen institutional awareness among new audiences and consolidate partnerships with educational institutions and companies.
Our presence at Futurália thus proved effective in promoting forestry engineering as a career of the future, emphasising the fundamental role of these professionals in responding to today’s environmental, economic and social challenges.