Under the new €1m contract, Treemetrics will roll out a real-time satellite communications and data analytics platform for forestry harvest control. A world first for forestry, the technology is designed to optimise operational efficiency, reduce waste and improve environmental sustainability.

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny was joined by Coillte chief executive Fergal Leamy and Treemetrics CEO and co-founder Enda Keane in Government buildings to mark the agreement last week.

Wood supply chain

Treemetrics developed the technology working in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) over the past four years. It communicates directly with harvest-cutting machines, ensuring that they always have 24/7 connectivity, thus delivering positioning and mapping services to the driver operators as well as sharing data about the tree logs in real time with the forest managers and sawmill wood buyers.

“After a chance meeting on a Dublin street some years ago, I have followed with interest the Treemetrics story of success,” the Taoiseach said.

“SMEs like Treemetrics are the backbone of our economy and are an example to everyone who has an idea to follow it through as best they can,” he said.

Internet of trees

The Treemetrics technology platform should reduce travel costs to and from forest sites through in-vehicle navigation and improved inventory mapping.

“Coillte is on a path to becoming the best forestry and land solutions company in Europe,” Fergal Leamy said. “Our increasing use of technology will be crucial over the next few years as we aim to create the connected forest.”

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