CoLAB ForestWISE

Name

CoLAB ForestWISE

Legal name

FORESTWISE – ASSOCIAÇÃO PARA O LABORATÓRIO COLABORATIVO PARA A GESTÃO INTEGRADA DA FLORESTA E DO FOGO

Website

https://forestwise.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collaborative research laboratory for integrated forest and fire management

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Forest Fire Management & Fuels Reduction Services (IMAMAAAH)

Keywords

• Integrated forest management
• Wildfire prevention research
• Forest fire decision support
• Forestry digital platforms
• Collaborative research laboratory

Headquarters

HQ city

Paredes

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Project Funding: CoLAB ForestWISE operates as a non-profit collaborative laboratory funded primarily through national and European research funding programs, including the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), and Horizon Europe projects.
2. Membership Fees from Associate Organizations: Revenue generated from associate and partner organizations including AGIF, Altri Florestal, Corticeira Amorim, DS Smith, E-REDES, INESCTEC, INIAV, ISA, IPMA, REN, Sonae Arauco, The Navigator Company, University of Aveiro, University of Coimbra, University of Évora, and UTAD.
3. Technical-Scientific Coordination Services: The organization provides technical and scientific coordination for mobilizing agendas and integrated projects, including the transForm Agenda and RN21 Integrated Project.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CoLAB ForestWISE is a non-profit collaborative laboratory that provides applied research, technical-scientific coordination, training, and proprietary digital platforms for integrated forest and fire management. Its deliverables include decision-support platforms (FireExplorer, Decision-Making Support for Fire Management Bands), mobile field-data apps (Geo-catch, Arboreal Floresta), a forestry e-Marketplace, fire surveillance systems such as Natureye, and the Resinae quality/traceability brand for natural resin. Customers are primarily Portuguese and European government agencies, forestry companies, utilities, and academic institutions engaged in wildfire prevention, sustainable forest management, and bioeconomy initiatives.

Product overview

CoLAB ForestWISE is a Collaborative Laboratory for Integrated Forest and Fire Management operating as an R&D organization rather than a commercial product company. The organization manages a portfolio of research initiatives and platforms including the transForm Agenda (digital transformation of forestry value chains), RN21 Integrated Project (natural resin innovation with Resinae brand), and FIRE-RES project (fire resilience with FireExplorer platform and Geo-catch app). Additional initiatives include the RESIST project for climate adaptation, REACT MORE for post-fire recovery, and Forest Knowledge Academy for professional training. The organization also develops digital platforms for forest products marketplace and fire management band decision support, and produces scientific publications. These initiatives focus on forestry innovation, wildfire prevention, circular economy, and sustainable forest management in Portugal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forest Knowledge Academy (Academia da Floresta) Training and capacity-building program for forestry professionals covering machine evaluation, forest inventory planning, and adoption of new technologies such as the Arboreal Floresta app. Targeted at forest owners, technicians, and operational staff in Portugal.
• FireExplorer Platform Educational and scientific platform dedicated to forest fire management and prevention, developed as part of the FIRE-RES European project. Used by researchers, fire managers, and the general public for knowledge dissemination.
• Geo-catch Application (FIRE-RES) Mobile application for capturing and storing georeferenced forest photographs that are analysed by artificial intelligence to create pan-European fuel maps. Used by field operators and volunteers participating in the FIRE-RES project.
• Forest Products e-Marketplace Platform Digital marketplace platform developed under the transForm Agenda for trading forest products, enabling market connections between forest producers and buyers in the Portuguese forestry sector.
• Decision-Making Support Platform for Compatible Occupancy in Fire Management Bands Decision-support platform for implementing Compatible Occupancy areas in Fire Management Bands (Faixas de Gestão de Combustível – FGC), developed in collaboration with associate member E-REDES for use along power-line corridors and rural land-use planning.
• Arboreal Floresta App Mobile application for forest inventory data collection using new technologies in the field. Used by forestry professionals and forest owners for structured inventory capture.
• Natureye Innovative fire-prevention and response system that combines high-altitude balloons, drones, video surveillance cameras, and artificial-intelligence analytics for rural fire monitoring. Co-developed with associate member REN (Redes Energéticas Nacionais).
• Resinae Brand Traceability and quality label for Natural Resin that certifies quality, origin, and sustainable forest management for Portuguese maritime pine resin products. Used by resin producers and buyers seeking certified sustainable resin.

Quantifiable outcome

• Technical-scientific coordination of €15M+ R&D investment in forest fire prevention and fighting research (FCT 2017-2019)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ESRI PortugalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Signed partnership protocol in October 2023 to promote knowledge transfer on technology and innovation between forest sector actors and fire management stakeholders, focused on entrepreneurship and innovation programs.
• IPEF - Instituto de Pesquisas e Estudos Florestais (Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Brazilian forestry research institute and international institutional partner. CoLAB ForestWISE participates in IPEF's Cooperative Program on Forestry Mechanization and Automation, and Executive Director José Otávio Brito serves on CoLAB's Scientific and Business Advisory Board.
• AGIF - Agência para a Gestão Integrada de Fogos RuraiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency responsible for integrated rural fire management in Portugal. AGIF is an associate member and strategic partner in multiple CoLAB ForestWISE projects including FIRE-RES Living Lab, FoR-IG gender equality project, and various fire prevention initiatives.
• Altri FlorestalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Portuguese forestry company and leader of the transForm Agenda. Altri Florestal collaborates with CoLAB ForestWISE as technical-scientific coordinator of this major green mobilizing agenda under Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan.
• The Navigator CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Portuguese forest products company and associate member. Collaborates on forestry certification, voluntary carbon market initiatives, and annual forest producer meetings. Miguel Silveira serves as Chair of CoLAB ForestWISE Board of Directors.
• Corticeira AmorimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld leader in cork production and associate member. Partners on sustainable forest management projects and bioeconomy initiatives.
• Sonae AraucocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading wood-based solutions company and associate member. Collaborates on forestry operations, certification, and sustainable forest management initiatives.
• REN - Redes Energéticas NacionaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational grid operator and associate member. Partners with CoLAB ForestWISE on Natureye innovative project for rural fire prevention and response using high-altitude balloons, drones, and AI systems.
• E-REDEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElectricity distribution network operator and associate member. Collaborates on the decision-making support platform for compatible occupancy in fire management bands.
• DS SmithcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational packaging and paper company, associate member. Partners on sustainable forest management and bioeconomy initiatives.
• UTAD - Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto DourocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost university of CoLAB ForestWISE headquarters. UTAD researchers including Paulo Fernandes serve as Scientific Coordinator, and José Gaspar serves as CTO. Multiple collaborative research projects and student involvement.
• ISA - Instituto Superior de AgronomiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading agricultural and forestry school in Portugal. Key partner in FIRE-RES project, living lab activities, and various forest management research initiatives. Professor Helena Pereira serves on Scientific Board.
• University of CoimbracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in fire research through ADAI and CEABN. Hosts events and collaborates on wildfire management, post-fire recovery, and landscape resilience projects.
• INESCTECcoreTechnology or IntegrationAssociated laboratory and research center. Collaborates on digital technologies, systems analysis, and innovation for forest resources.
• INIAV - Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e VeterináriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational institute for agricultural and veterinary research. Associate member supporting forestry research and innovation activities.
• University of AveirocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in forestry logistics, innovation, and digital transformation research through multiple collaborative projects.
• University of ÉvoraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate member contributing to forest and fire research activities.
• European Forest Institute (EFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean forestry research organization. Partners on FIRE-RES project and European wildfire resilience initiatives.
• Cesefor Fundación (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish forestry foundation and international partner. Collaborates on Iberian resin initiatives, FIREPOCTEP+ project, and Bioeconomy Forum of Castile and León.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CERTH (Centre for Research & Technology Hellas): Greek applied research center with major wildfire and Earth observation programs including ISAFE and the FIRE-RES partnership. Direct peer: similar Mediterranean fire research and technology transfer mandate, and a named partner of CoLAB ForestWISE on FIRE-RES.
• Cesefor Fundación: Spanish forestry foundation focused on bioeconomy, resin value chains, and fire management. Direct peer to CoLAB ForestWISE: both are non-profit foundations coordinating industry-academia-government research consortia for Iberian forestry and wildfire resilience, and ForestWISE explicitly lists Cesefor as a partner on FIREPOCTEP+ and resin initiatives.
• Pau Costa Foundation: Spanish non-profit focused on improving knowledge and practice of wildfire management through training, publications, and applied research. Direct peer: both organizations occupy the wildfire-knowledge-and-capacity-building niche with strong practitioner networks across Iberia.
• CTFC (Centre de Ciència i Tecnologia Forestal de Catalunya): Catalan forest science and technology center that conducts applied forestry research, runs Living Labs, and coordinates multi-stakeholder projects on forest management, bioeconomy, and wildfire. Direct peer: comparable scope and structure to CoLAB ForestWISE as a regional applied forestry research center.

Others

• EFFIS (European Forest Fire Information System): European Commission's Joint Research Centre wildfire monitoring and assessment system providing pan-European fire danger forecasts and damage assessments. Ecosystem participant: complementary rather than competing — ForestWISE's FIRE-RES fuel maps and post-fire recovery work feed into and benefit from EFFIS data infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• INRAE: France's national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment, with significant forest and fire ecology research capacity. Broad incumbent: much larger scale and broader mandate than ForestWISE, but overlaps on forest ecology, fire risk modeling, and bioeconomy research.
• European Forest Institute (EFI): Pan-European intergovernmental organization conducting forest policy research and operating multiple EU-wide wildfire and bioeconomy projects. Broader incumbent: EFI operates at EU policy level and partners with ForestWISE on FIRE-RES, but covers a much wider thematic and geographic mandate.
• INIA-CSIC (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria): Spain's national agricultural and food research institute with forestry and fire research programs. Broad incumbent: comparable national-level applied research scope but a much larger organization with broader agriculture mandate.

Emerging players

• Pano AI: US-based AI wildfire detection startup combining camera networks, satellite data, and machine learning for utility and agency customers. Emerging player: comparable AI-driven fire detection technology to ForestWISE's Geo-catch and Natureye platforms, but operating as a venture-backed commercial vendor targeting utilities.

Regional players

• IPEF (Instituto de Pesquisas e Estudos Florestais): Brazilian forestry research institute coordinating cooperative programs on plantation forestry, mechanization, and pest management. Regional peer: comparable industry-academia cooperative research model in Latin America; ForestWISE participates in IPEF's mechanization cooperative and its director sits on ForestWISE's Scientific Board.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CForestwise
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCe3ywkDsUZWByEsGdth6ojQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CoLABForestWISE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colab-forestwise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CoLAB ForestWISE