European forests are increasingly affected by climate change, wildfires, storms, droughts, pests and other pressures. At the same time, policymakers, forest authorities, land managers and businesses require timely and reliable information to support sustainable forest management, climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation and disaster resilience. While Copernicus already provides valuable information, important gaps remain regarding forest health, disturbances, biomass, restoration and wildfire risk.
FUTUREFOR develops advanced forest monitoring services based on Copernicus EO data, artificial intelligence and complementary data sources. The project brings together research organisations, universities and SMEs from Europe and Ukraine to develop and demonstrate solutions for forest disturbance monitoring, biomass estimation, wildfire detection and risk assessment, innovative observation technologies and a Forest Digital Twin demonstrator. Through these activities, FUTUREFOR supports European environmental and climate objectives while promoting the uptake of EO-based services for public and commercial users.
The project contributes to several European policy priorities, including the European Green Deal, the EU Forest Strategy, the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, climate adaptation and mitigation objectives, renewable energy policies, and wider efforts to strengthen the resilience of European ecosystems. Improved forest information is also essential for supporting carbon accounting, nature restoration, wildfire preparedness, and sustainable bioeconomy development. FUTUREFOR develops next-generation forest monitoring services based on Copernicus satellite data, advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence, and complementary ground-based information. The project brings together research organisations, universities and innovative SMEs from across Europe and Ukraine to design, test and demonstrate new methods for monitoring forest conditions and changes.
The project focuses on improving the detection and assessment of forest disturbances such as wildfires, storms, insect outbreaks and drought impacts; developing innovative approaches for forest biomass estimation and bioenergy monitoring; enhancing wildfire detection, fuel mapping and risk assessment; exploring novel data collection technologies including high-altitude unmanned aerial platforms; and integrating these services into an interactive Forest Digital Twin that makes forest information more accessible and useful for decision-makers.
Beyond public-sector applications, FUTUREFOR stimulates innovation and economic growth by demonstrating how open Copernicus data can support new commercial services. The project develops business cases addressing wildfire risk management for critical infrastructure, biomass intelligence for renewable energy applications, and digital forest management solutions for private forest owners. Through these activities, FUTUREFOR contributes to more resilient forests, improved environmental governance, stronger climate adaptation and mitigation efforts, enhanced biodiversity protection, and increased uptake of European space data and digital technologies. The project demonstrates how advanced EO capabilities can be transformed into practical tools that support sustainable forest management and help safeguard Europe’s forests for future generations.
