The first edition of the SmartForest conference took place at the forestry department of the Technical University of Munich in Freising. The event featured two days of knowledge exchange and deep discussions between attendees from the worlds of research and practice, focusing on the future of forests and forestry.
Check out the event photos: https://smartforest.ai/en/smartforest-2025-photo-gallery
Concepts such as Data Spaces, innovative uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the potential of digital solutions within forestry and silviculture were the central theme of the conference. Aside from four main sessions, the programme included eight in-depth sessions, as well as an outdoor session, where specific topics could be discussed more extensively. Three keynotes provided the conference’s framework. Prof. Dr. Rupert Seidl of the TU Munich and Dr. Ruth Dirsch of LWF Bayern provided their scientific perspectives, while forest manager Martin Roth ensured the practical view was also well-represented. Roth particularly noted how important it is to have scientific developments be accessible and usable for practical applications.
The conference’s topics found a warm and interested welcome within the forestry community. Besides a large German contingent, SmartForest 2025 also attracted international guests from Austria, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. With over 150 attendees, the event was entirely sold out.
The large amount of practice-relevant presentations, as well as the opportunity to try out new tools in the nearby forest during the outdoor session, were of particular note and drew much interest from participants.
„What I found particularly exciting about SmartForest was the exchange between science and practice on the topic of how digital innovations can advance climate-adapted forest management.“
„For me, SmartForest was a really good mix of scientifically challenging food for thought, gripping practical insights, and moving personal stories – plus great people and a really pleasant atmosphere!“
„SmartForest was an important place for networking with regard to the digitalisation of forest science and -management and the potential it offers for finding answers to the challenges of modern forest management. Educational, delicious and lovingly designed.“
„Whether digital twin or AI: SmartForest 2025 has shown the potential of data-based forestry and the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue. From vision to application: SmartForest 2025 made it tangible how digital innovations provide concrete solutions to the challenges of forestry.“
„The SmartForest 2025 conference offered an impressive mix of high-quality presentations on forests and remote sensing as well as practical application examples of digital forestry data solutions from private service providers. An informative and exciting event.“
„As a district manager, SmartForest 2025 gave me a deep insight into what is being researched and how far the technology has already come. During my presentation, I had the opportunity to show how important it is that these developments are also made available and applicable in practice. I was very inspired by the approaches taken by my colleagues from Switzerland.“
„The SmartForest conference was a great opportunity to explore the opportunities and challenges around the data needed to digitise forestry.“
„A superbly organised conference with the unique opportunity for forestry practice, authorities and science to exchange views in a productive atmosphere on the currently so pressing issue of forests and forestry in times of climate change.“
„SmartForest 2025 has taken up the need for an event that better links practice and science and met it with a great conference. More of this would be great!“
„For me, the SmartForest conference was a very inspiring demonstration of the possibilities of digitalisation, especially of AI in forestry. Numerous good presentations, discussions and the hospitality in Freising (the birthplace of Obazda!) were two very successful days for me.“
„SmartForest 2025 has shown how much dynamism and innovation potential is currently being used to work on digitalisation topics in forestry. I was able to take away a lot of exciting impulses and ideas from the two days and look forward to seeing you again next year.“
„My take-away message: We need a technological forestry conference modelled on SmartForest 2025.“
The event was special to both the organisers and participants. The strong interest from within the community emphasised the importance of strong collaborations and the robust exchange of ideas surrounding digital solutions within the forestry sector. It’s clearly a field of research that has massive potential to be developed further.
The conference was established for the FutureForest project, which focuses on the use of AI in forestry, and organised by project partners wetransform GmbH, M.O.S.S. Computer Grafik Systeme GmbH, TU Munich, and Freie Universität Berlin. The project and conference were funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) via the funding programme „KI-Leuchttürme für Umwelt, Klima, Natur und Ressourcen“ (Funding code: 67KI21002A). In this, BMUV is supported by Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH as a project organiser.
