Between 23 and 27 June, CoLAB ForestWISE hosted Luc Lebel, from Université Laval (Québec, Canada) and director of the FORAC research consortium, an international reference in the field of forestry operations, wood supply chains and relations between service providers in the sector.

During the expert’s stay in Portugal, several activities were organised in different parts of the country, with the aim of encouraging the exchange of experiences and the discussion of innovative models in forest management.

The starting point for the week was the institutional reception at the ForestWISE CoLAB headquarters in Vila Real on 23 June. This session brought together members of the ForestWISE technical and scientific team for an initial sharing of knowledge about challenges and solutions in the sector. On the same day, a technical visit was made to some land preparation areas, organised by Antarr, where it was possible to observe some of the particularities in Portugal and the planting of pine in sloping areas.

On 25 June, the “Managing wood flow in a complex and uncertain environment” Dissemination Action was held in Mealhada, as part of the transForm Agenda, with participants from different entities in the sector. Throughout the day, participants explored topics such as the strategic role of forestry service providers, methods for evaluating and improving the performance of forestry service providers, alternative cutting systems beyond the traditional cut-to-length and innovative training models.

Then, on 26 June, Luc Lebel was the keynote speaker at the public seminar ‘Efficient Forest Operations Using Independent Entrepreneurs and Forest Service Providers: The Canadian Experience’, held at the Agricultural College of the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra. In this session, he shared the Canadian experience in assessing forestry operational efficiency, highlighting a study carried out in Canada that presented the results of a diagnosis carried out with small and medium-sized service providers, considered pillars of the sustainable supply chain.

On the 26th, a visit was also made to the ADAI facilities in Coimbra, where it was possible to see the latest technologies developed by the laboratory for the robotisation and automation of forestry operations.

The week culminated with a technical field trip on 27 June, organised in collaboration with the Baixo Vouga Forestry Association, which gave this expert direct contact with the operational and business reality of the Portuguese forestry sector, and allowed him to discuss interventions, operating modes and systems used on site.