DIABOLO · Project

Unified European Forest Data Platform for Smarter Biomass and Timber Decisions

environmentTestedTRL 5Thin data (2/5)

Imagine every country in Europe counts its trees differently — different methods, different units, different timing. That makes it nearly impossible to answer basic questions like "how much wood can we sustainably harvest across the continent?" DIABOLO brought together forest inventory experts from 25 countries to build a common language for forest data, combining ground surveys with satellite imagery. They also built an early-warning system for forest disturbances like fires, storms, and insect outbreaks — think of it as a weather forecast, but for forest health.

By the numbers

European countries with harmonised forest data

partner institutions in the consortium

total project deliverables produced

European countries with NFI experts contributing methods

The business problem

What needed solving

European forest data is fragmented — every country measures its forests differently, making it extremely difficult for businesses to assess cross-border timber supply, biomass availability, or climate-related risks. Companies sourcing wood or investing in forest assets across multiple European markets have no single reliable source for comparable forest data.

The solution

What was built

DIABOLO delivered 39 outputs including a pilot web-service for sustainable biomass supply assessment, harmonised forest inventory methods across 25 countries, near real-time forest disturbance monitoring tools using satellite data, and standardised data products feeding into the European Forest Data Centre at JRC.

Audience

Who needs this

Biomass energy producers sourcing wood across multiple European countriesTimber traders and forest products companies managing cross-border supply chainsForestry insurance underwriters assessing wildfire, storm, and pest riskCarbon offset developers verifying forest carbon stock across EU marketsForest management technology companies building decision-support tools

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Biomass & Bioenergy

mid-size

Target: Biomass energy producers and wood pellet suppliers

If you are a biomass energy company struggling to predict sustainable wood supply across multiple European sourcing regions — this project developed a pilot web-service for sustainable biomass supply assessment that combines harmonised forest inventory data from 25 countries. It lets you map where biomass is available, how much can be harvested sustainably, and how supply might shift with climate disturbances.

Forest Products & Timber

enterprise

Target: Timber trading companies and sawmill operators

If you are a timber trader dealing with supply uncertainty from storm damage, drought, or insect outbreaks — DIABOLO built near real-time forest disturbance monitoring methods using Earth observation and satellite data. These tools help you anticipate supply disruptions across 25 European countries before they hit your bottom line.

Insurance & Risk Management

enterprise

Target: Agricultural and forestry insurance providers

If you are an insurer covering forest assets and struggling to assess wildfire, storm, or pest risk across European portfolios — DIABOLO delivered 39 research outputs including disturbance monitoring methods and harmonised forest condition data across 25 countries. This gives you a more consistent, data-driven basis for underwriting forest-related risk.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to access DIABOLO's forest data tools?

Based on available project data, DIABOLO was a publicly funded research project (Research and Innovation Action). Its methodologies and data products were developed for public-sector use including the European Forest Data Centre at JRC. Licensing terms for commercial users would need to be negotiated with the coordinator (Natural Resources Institute Finland).

Can these tools work at industrial scale across multiple countries?

Yes — the entire point of the project was pan-European scale. DIABOLO harmonised forest inventory methods across 25 countries with 34 partner institutions. The pilot biomass supply web-service was designed to deliver EU-wide consistent forest information.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license it?

The project was coordinated by LUONNONVARAKESKUS (Natural Resources Institute Finland), a public research center. IP from EU-funded RIA projects typically stays with the partners who generated it. Commercial licensing would need to be discussed with the coordinator and relevant partners.

Does this comply with EU reporting and regulatory requirements?

DIABOLO was explicitly designed to support EU policy processes and international reporting obligations, including alignment with INSPIRE, GEOSS, REDD+, FLEGT, and UNFF standards. Its outputs feed into the European Forest Data Centre (FISE) at JRC.

How current is this technology — is it still maintained?

The project ran from 2015 to 2019 and is now closed. However, its methodologies were integrated into ongoing systems like EFDAC/FISE at JRC and GLOBIOM at IIASA. The underlying National Forest Inventory networks (ENFIN) continue to operate.

Can this integrate with our existing GIS and remote sensing systems?

DIABOLO was built to work with Earth observation data and satellite positioning systems, with explicit reference to INSPIRE and GEOSS interoperability standards. Integration with commercial GIS platforms would depend on data format compatibility, but the standards-based approach makes this feasible.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a large, research-heavy consortium of 34 partners across 25 countries — impressive geographic coverage but with zero industrial partners. The 17 research organizations and 12 universities bring deep scientific expertise in forestry and Earth observation. The coordinator, Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), is one of Europe's leading forestry research bodies. The single SME and 0% industry ratio means the outputs are designed for policy and research users first. A business looking to use these tools would need to bridge the gap between research outputs and commercial application, likely requiring a technology integrator or direct partnership with the coordinator.

LUONNONVARAKESKUSCoordinator · FI
JOANNEUM RESEARCH FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBHparticipant · AT
UNIVERSITE DE LIEGEparticipant · BE
NIBIO - NORSK INSTITUTT FOR BIOOKONOMIparticipant · NO
BUNDESFORSCHUNGS UND AUSBILDUNGSZENTRUM FUR WALD NATURGEFAHREN UND LANDSCHAFTparticipant · AT
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLINparticipant · IE
OFFICE NATIONAL DES FORETSthirdparty · FR
FORESTRY COMMISSION RESEARCH AGENCYparticipant · UK
LATVIJAS VALSTS MEZZINATNES INSTITUTS SILAVAparticipant · LV
ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITAET FREIBURGparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE-FACULTY OF FORESTRYparticipant · RS
INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE AGRONOMIAparticipant · PT
KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELAparticipant · ES
AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASparticipant · ES
JOHANN HEINRICH VON THUENEN-INSTITUT, BUNDESFORSCHUNGSINSTITUT FUER LAENDLICHE RAEUME, WALD UND FISCHEREIparticipant · DE
FORSTLICHE VERSUCHS- UND FORSCHUNGSANSTALT BADEN-WUERTTEMBERGparticipant · DE
SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE IN SILVICULTURA MARIN DRACEAparticipant · RO
NEMZETI ELELMISZERLANC-BIZTONSAGI HIVATALparticipant · HU
INTERNATIONALES INSTITUT FUER ANGEWANDTE SYSTEMANALYSEparticipant · AT
NARODNE LESNICKE CENTRUMparticipant · SK
EIDGENOSSISCHE FORSCHUNGSANSTALT WSLparticipant · CH
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE L'INFORMATION GEOGRAPHIQUE ET FORESTIEREparticipant · FR
VYTAUTO DIDZIOJO UNIVERSITETASparticipant · LT
GOZDARSKI INSTITUT SLOVENIJEparticipant · SI
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND THE MARINEparticipant · IE
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENTparticipant · FR
CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIAparticipant · IT
PANEPISTIMIO PATRONparticipant · EL
UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRIDparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Contact LUONNONVARAKESKUS (Natural Resources Institute Finland) — they led the 34-partner consortium and own the core methodology

Order a report on this consortium See LUONNONVARAKESKUS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how DIABOLO's harmonised forest data and biomass supply tools could work for your business? SciTransfer can arrange an introduction to the research team and help you evaluate fit.

Order a report on this topic More in Environment & Climate