IT4EST Kickoff Meeting

IT4EST: Pioneering Sustainable Forest Innovation in the EU

The challenge of preserving Europe’s forests has never been more critical. As climate change intensifies, the twin threats of wildfires and sanitary crises, like bark beetle infestations, are becoming increasingly frequent and severe. However, hope is on the horizon with the launch of IT4EST, the first-ever EU Technology Deployment platform dedicated to Sustainable Forest Innovation.

A Bold Initiative for the Future of EU Forests

IT4EST is a groundbreaking EU funded project designed to tackle these major risks head-on using advanced technologies. By focusing on saving and growing our invaluable “carbon sink,” IT4EST also aims to unlock new valorization opportunities for forestry assets. The platform will be built upon three priority pillars—Prevention, Intervention, and Restoration/Valorization—that underpin the entire forestry value chain, promising rapid and significant impacts, especially in less developed regions.

This consortium comprises 14 partners from 13 EU regions who cover the complete spectrum of forestry management innovation. The main goal? To cross-fertilize ten cutting-edge TRL6+ Demonstrators and a DLT Pilot while fostering a pan-EU ecosystem of advanced green technologies aimed at the preservation and valorization of forests.

Innovating Across the Forestry Landscape

IT4EST will establish a fully integrated Interregional Network of nine “Sustainable Forest Test Beds” across five countries—Greece (EL), Lithuania (LT), Portugal (PT), Romania (RO), and Spain (ES). These sites are not just theoretical models but real forests prepared to serve as physical joint demonstration environments, fully equipped with all necessary sensors to test a variety of innovative solutions, including intervention technologies for fire extinction and more.

By anchoring innovation capabilities directly into the Forest Test Beds of these regions, IT4EST is set to significantly strengthen their environmental and economic positions in an unprecedented way. The platform aims to save nearly 5.0 million hectares of forest and reduce damage to forest areas by 15% by 2040, with a goal of reaching 5.8 million hectares across the EU and the UK. Moreover, the initiative is expected to safeguard or create 17,300 direct and indirect jobs by 2040, generating a gross added value of €856 million.