CMPC: Smart Forest Solutions Challenge
CMPC is seeking innovative solutions to measure and optimize water consumption in their plantations to help drive smarter, more sustainable forest management.
Revolutionizing Water Management for Sustainable Forestry
CMPC, a global leader in sustainable practices, was looking for innovative solutions to optimize water use across its forest plantations. The focus is on advanced hydrological zoning and water measurement technologies to enhance forest management, from seedling to harvest, ensuring smarter water use and more sustainable forestry practices.
This challenge focused on optimizing water use through measuring tree water consumption, reducing the need for irrigation and driving a more sustainable future for global forest management.
Challenge Statement & Opportunity
Challenge Statement: The Smart Forest Solutions Challenge aims to quickly determine the amount of water that forest species consume from the seedling stage to the age at which the trees are harvested. The measurements should be periodic, ranging from each day to each month. Ideal solutions should take meteorological information into consideration to optimize precipitation or suggest irrigation when necessary.
Challenge Opportunity: As part of CMPC’s strategy to drive circular economy principles and reduce water consumption in its forests by 2030, the winning innovator will have the chance to collaborate with CMPC to pilot their solution in real-world applications. This challenge offers the opportunity to co-create operational strategies and tools that could be implemented across CMPC’s plantations worldwide.
Background & Considerations
Where possible, successful solutions should try to address the following challenges to help with adoption:
1
Water Consumption Measurement
Accurately track water consumption of different tree species across varying areas and weather conditions.
2
Irrigation Recommendations
Recommend irrigation when precipitation is insufficient, taking local meteorological data into account.
3
Remote Sensing Technology
Utilize agile and remote technologies like sensors, drones, and satellite data to monitor and manage water use effectively.
4
Data Connectivity
Capable of data connectivity through cloud-based systems.
Evaluation & Eligibility
Key assessment and eligibility criteria include:
- Use of agile and remote tools
- Scalability
- Cost-effectiveness
- Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7+
The Partner
CMPC produces and commercializes products based on pulp, paper, wood, and tissue. The company was born in 1920 with the production of papers and cardboards, and today commercializes its products through its three main businesses: pulp, biopackaging and softys, reaching more than 25,000 direct clients around the world.
CMPC has 54 industrial plants and a global presence in twelve countries. CMPC’s corporate purpose—making natural fibers for a better future—is integral to the company's way of doing business and guides its actions and operations towards a sustainable future on a day-to-day basis.
Challenge Winner
Foresight Canada has announced Deep Forestry as the winner of CMPC’s Smart Forest Solutions Challenge, marking a significant breakthrough in forest monitoring. Deep Forestry's innovative approach, utilizing autonomous drones and AI, provides comprehensive forest analysis by scanning each tree to gather precise data on location, species, size, and volume.
This detailed information facilitates optimized planning, efficient harvesting, and the creation of a 3D digital twin, enabling fieldworkers to prioritize forest health and biodiversity. This technology will empower CMPC to accurately track water consumption throughout the tree lifecycle, from seedling to harvest, enabling effective water management.
As the winners of the Challenge, Deep Forestry will have the opportunity to co-create a pilot proposal with CMPC, paving the way for co-developing operational strategies and tools that could be implemented across CMPC’s global plantations. This Challenge marks not only a win for Deep Forestry and CMPC, but for the future of the forestry sector as a whole, showing that innovative technology can drive significant advancements in sustainable forest management and resource efficiency.
At Deep Forestry, we combine autonomous drone surveying from both above and below the canopy with LiDAR + Hyperspectral sensor fusion and multi-modal AI algorithms to produce precision forestry insights for optimizing water consumption and sustainable forest management.
Working with CMPC on this challenge has been an inspiring journey, with much appreciation to the Foresight team for making it all happen.
Challenge Updates
October 21, 2024: Applications Open
November 26, 2024: Information Webinar (watch recording here)
December 20, 2024: Applications Close
January 8, 2025: Finalists Notified
January 14-15, 2025: Finalists' Pitch Presentations
March 18, 2025: Winner Announced
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