ONEforest · Project

Software That Helps Forest Managers Balance Climate Resilience, Wood Supply, and Regional Economics

environmentTestedTRL 5

Imagine you manage a forest and you're being pulled in every direction — environmentalists want more biodiversity, the timber industry needs reliable wood supply, and climate change keeps throwing droughts and storms at you. ONEforest built a decision-support software tool that lets you see all those trade-offs on one screen and find the best compromise. They tested it across four European climate regions with real forest data, and packaged it as a downloadable application anyone can use.

By the numbers

42%

of EU land area covered by forests — the addressable scope

Case Study Regions across European biogeographical zones

consortium partners contributing forest data and expertise

European countries represented in the consortium

EUR 5,213,205

EU investment in developing this decision support system

TRL 5

technology readiness level of the delivered MCDSS prototype

total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Forest managers across Europe face an impossible balancing act: climate change brings more droughts, storms, and pest outbreaks, while demand for sustainable wood supply keeps growing and environmental regulations tighten. Currently, there is no single tool that lets decision-makers see the trade-offs between forest resilience, timber economics, and ecosystem health — so they make fragmented decisions that often sacrifice one goal for another.

The solution

What was built

A TRL 5 prototype of a Multi-Criteria Decision Support System delivered as an executable software file, plus aligned datasets of forest inventory and climate data for Alpine forests. The project also produced a Dynamic Value Chain Model with economic, environmental, and social indicators, and tested new silvicultural methods including an engineered topsoil cover based on wood fibres across 4 European case study regions.

Audience

Who needs this

State forestry agencies and public forest management bodies managing large estates under climate stressTimber and wood products companies needing supply chain visibility and risk assessmentEnvironmental consultancies advising clients on forest carbon and ecosystem servicesInsurance companies underwriting forestry and natural catastrophe risksRegional development agencies balancing economic growth with forest conservation

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Forestry & Timber

any

Target: Forest management companies and state forestry agencies

If you are a forestry operation struggling to plan harvests when drought, storms, and pest outbreaks keep disrupting your timber supply — this project developed a Multi-Criteria Decision Support System (TRL 5 prototype) that models your forest under different climate scenarios and shows which silvicultural practices keep wood flowing reliably. It was tested across 4 European biogeographical regions with real inventory and climate data.

Wood Products & Pulp/Paper

mid-size

Target: Sawmills, pulp mills, and wood-based product manufacturers

If you are a wood products manufacturer worried about raw material security as forests face increasing climate stress — this project built a Dynamic Value Chain Model that quantifies how different forest management decisions affect regional wood supply using economic, environmental, and social indicators. With 20 partners across 8 countries feeding real data, it gives you visibility into supply reliability before shortages hit.

Environmental Consulting & Insurance

SME

Target: Climate risk consultancies and forestry insurance providers

If you are a consultancy or insurer trying to assess forest climate risk but lack tools that integrate silvicultural, economic, and environmental data — this project delivers an easy-to-use software application that visualizes trade-offs between forest resilience, ecosystem services, and economic output. It covers 42% of EU land area in scope and was validated with aligned forest inventory and climate datasets.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would this software cost to license or deploy?

The project was publicly funded with EUR 5,213,205 under Horizon 2020 as a Research and Innovation Action. Pricing for the MCDSS software is not specified in available project data. As an EU-funded tool, it may be available freely or under open-access terms — direct contact with the coordinator is needed to confirm licensing conditions.

Can this work at industrial scale for large forest estates?

The system was designed and tested across 4 Case Study Regions following Europe's biogeographical zones, using aligned forest inventory and climate datasets. The prototype reached TRL 5 (validated in relevant environment), suggesting it handles real-world data volumes but may need further scaling for enterprise deployment across very large estates.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license it?

The project was coordinated by Technische Hochschule Rosenheim (Germany) with a consortium of 20 partners. IP ownership typically follows Horizon 2020 grant agreement rules where each partner owns what they developed. Licensing terms for the MCDSS executable should be discussed directly with the coordinator.

Does this comply with EU forest and environmental regulations?

The MCDSS was built specifically to support Sustainable Forest Management decisions using economic, environmental, and social indicators. It aligns with EU forest strategy goals and was designed with sustainability criteria built into its core decision logic. Based on available project data, specific regulatory certifications are not mentioned.

How long would it take to integrate this into our operations?

A TRL 5 prototype exists as an executable file, meaning it can be installed and tested relatively quickly. However, you would need to feed it your own forest inventory and climate data. The project produced aligned datasets for Alpine forests as a reference, so adaptation to your specific region would require data preparation work.

Is there ongoing support or development after the project ended?

The project closed in May 2024. Results are being implemented in new Model Forests as part of the International Model Forest Network, which suggests continued community use. For ongoing technical support, contact the coordinator at Technische Hochschule Rosenheim directly.

What makes this different from existing forest management software?

Unlike single-purpose tools, this system uses Goal Programming methods to simultaneously balance forest resilience, wood supply reliability, ecosystem services, and regional economic impact. It was validated across 4 distinct European climate regions with 20 partners contributing real operational data, giving it broader applicability than most national tools.

Consortium

Who built it

The consortium of 20 partners across 8 countries (AT, CH, DE, EE, ES, IT, SE, SI) is heavily research-oriented: 12 universities and 3 research organizations drive the science, while only 1 industry partner and 1 SME are involved — giving it just a 5% industry ratio. This is typical for forestry research but signals that commercialization was not the primary focus. The geographic spread across Central, Southern, Northern, and Eastern Europe ensures the tool was tested in diverse forest conditions. The coordinator, Technische Hochschule Rosenheim in Germany, is a technical university with strong applied research credentials. For a business buyer, the low industry involvement means you would likely be among the first commercial adopters — which is both an opportunity (early mover advantage) and a risk (less market validation).

FUNDACION CENTRO DE SERVICIOS Y PROMOCION FORESTAL Y DE SU INDUSTRIA DE CASTILLA Y LEONparticipant · ES
TARTU ULIKOOLparticipant · EE
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET GRAZparticipant · AT
REGIONE TOSCANAparticipant · IT
CONSORCI CENTRE DE CIENCIA I TECNOLOGIA FORESTAL DE CATALUNYAparticipant · ES
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHENparticipant · DE
ALBERT-LUDWIGS-UNIVERSITAET FREIBURGparticipant · DE
GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITAT GOTTINGEN STIFTUNG OFFENTLICHEN RECHTSparticipant · DE
SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
EESTI MAAULIKOOLparticipant · EE
LIBERA UNIVERSITA DI BOLZANOparticipant · IT
EIDGENOSSISCHE FORSCHUNGSANSTALT WSLparticipant · CH
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTOparticipant · IT
BAYERISCHE FORSCHUNGSALLIANZ BAVARIAN RESEARCH ALLIANCE GMBHparticipant · DE
UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANIparticipant · SI
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET DRESDENparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

Technische Hochschule Rosenheim (Germany) — search for the forestry or wood technology department lead to find the project coordinator.

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Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how the ONEforest decision support tool could fit your forest management operations? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the research team and help evaluate the technology for your specific use case.

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