Istituto Piante da Legno e Ambiente di Torino

What Istituto Piante da Legno e Ambiente di Torino does

Istituto per le Piante da Legno e l'Ambiente S.p.A. (IPLA) is a publicly owned joint-stock company headquartered in Torino, with a secondary experimental estate in Prato Sesia (Novara). Founded in 1979 by Regione Piemonte and tracing its origins to the 1954 Istituto Nazionale per le Piante da Legno 'G. Piccarolo', IPLA operates as a società in-house providing technical-scientific services in forestry, soil science, biodiversity, environmental pathology, landscape ecology, and wood-biomass energy. Its shareholder base is entirely public: Regione Piemonte holds 96.26% of the €187,135.52 share capital, with the remainder held by Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta and Comune di Torino; the by-laws require more than 80% of activity to be performed for the benefit of these shareholders.

The company's core technology stack comprises a regional pedological information system, a soil-climatic meteorological station network covering Piedmont, a soil sample archive (Suoloteca), forest information systems, and dedicated chemistry/physics and mycology-phytopathology laboratories, all backed by cartographic and remote-sensing capabilities. It manages roughly 100 hectares of experimental agro-forestry land and operates a network of 60+ Forest Information Points plus a mobile outreach service. Service lines include forest management and planning, soil survey and mapping (Regional Soil Service), biodiversity and protected-area management, integrated pest and vector control, professional training, and biomass/wood supply-chain development.

IPLA employs 43 staff, including 29 highly qualified technicians, and is led by Sole Administrator Gianluca Gavazza (since 2023). After financial distress in 2011–2012, the company returned to six consecutive years of positive net income, reporting €328,000 in 2018 — described as its best result in 40 years. IPLA also pursues EU-funded and international cooperation projects on mandate from Regione Piemonte, including work within the Alpine Convention and Interreg programs. The company is governed under D.Lgs. 33/2013 transparency obligations and operates a D.Lgs. 231/2001 compliance model.

Name

Istituto Piante da Legno e Ambiente di Torino

Legal name

Istituto per le Piante da Legno e l'Ambiente S.p.A.

Website

https://ipla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IPLA is a publicly owned in-house technical-scientific company providing forestry, soil, biodiversity, and environmental services primarily to Regione Piemonte, employing 43 staff across two sites in Piedmont, Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental and Forestry Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFACABAE

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Advisory

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Crop Consulting & Agronomy Services (Soil Health, Nutrient Planning, Yield Consulting)

SECONDARYAFACAGAA

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programs & Monitoring

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Pest Management Services (IPM, Fumigation, Rodent/Bird Control)

SECONDARYHSAMAJAG

IPM Stored-Product & Facility IPM Programs (Warehouses, Food Handling)

Home & Personal Services/Pest Control & Extermination/Integrated Pest Management (IPM) & Preventive Services

SECONDARYEUAMAAAB

Permitting, Environmental & Stakeholder Engagement (EIA/ESIA, Community Relations)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, Hydro & Geothermal)/Renewable Project Development & IPP (Greenfield, Permitting, Financing)

Keywords

• Forestry research services
• Environmental consulting services
• Soil analysis mapping
• Biodiversity conservation services
• Biomass supply chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Torino

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Servizi istituzionali per la Regione Piemonte: Attività di ricerca applicata, sperimentazione e gestione svolte per la Regione Piemonte in qualità di struttura tecnica di riferimento per le politiche forestali, ambientali e delle risorse energetiche. L'attività deve essere svolta per oltre l'80% a favore dei soci.
2. Progetti di cooperazione internazionale: Progetti di cooperazione internazionale in Paesi emergenti in materia di ambiente, territorio e sviluppo sostenibile, condotti su mandato della Regione Piemonte
3. Attività sul mercato privato: L'istituto opera anche sul mercato privato e con finanziamenti europei

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IPLA is a publicly-owned technical-scientific institute delivering applied research, experimentation, and management services to the Piedmont Region in forestry, environment, soil science, biodiversity, and renewable energy. The institute operates laboratories for soil analysis and forest pathology, manages the Pedological and Forest Information Systems, and provides professional training and field support for forestry operators, municipalities, and public agencies.

Product overview

IPLA is a public limited company (S.p.A.) entirely owned by public shareholders (Piedmont Region, Aosta Valley Region, and City of Turin), serving as the technical reference structure for the Piedmont Region. The organization operates as a single integrated service offering comprising multiple specialized technical areas rather than a modular product platform. The core portfolio includes two main technical areas (Forest and Biodiversity; Territory and Agriculture), supported by dedicated services for cartography and ICT, company management, and administrative functions. Key offerings encompass forest planning and management, biodiversity conservation, soil survey and mapping as the Regional Soil Service, wood and biomass supply chain development, agricultural support, environmental pathology (pest and mosquito control), professional training for forestry operators, and laboratory services in chemistry, physics, and mycology. The company also manages experimental agricultural and forestry estates totaling approximately 100 hectares.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Area Tecnica Foreste e Biodiversità (Forest and Biodiversity Technical Area) Technical area providing research, experimentation, and management services for forest resources, environmental protection, and biodiversity conservation in protected areas. Covers forest planning, wood supply chains, forestry training, and support for forestry enterprises.
• Area Tecnica Territorio e Agricoltura (Territory and Agriculture Technical Area) Technical area providing multidisciplinary territorial management services, including soil analysis and mapping (Regional Soil Service), agricultural support, and environmental pathology services for protecting agriculture, animals, and humans.
• Servizio Cartografia, Telerilevamento, ICT (Cartography, Remote Sensing, ICT Service) Service providing cartographic production, remote sensing, and ICT solutions for territorial data management, including geographic information systems and thematic mapping for the Piedmont Region.
• Laboratorio Chimico-Fisico (Chemical-Physical Laboratory) Chemical and physical analysis laboratory supporting soil studies, biomass characterization, waste analysis, and agricultural inputs testing for public and private clients.
• Laboratorio di Micologia e Patologia Forestale (Mycology and Forest Pathology Laboratory) Mycology and forest pathology laboratory providing diagnostic services for fungal diseases, forest health monitoring, and pest management support for the Piedmont Region.
• Filiera Legno-Biomasse (Wood-Biomass Supply Chain Services) Integrated management and development services for the forest-wood-energy supply chain, including renewable energy promotion, biomass valorization, and support for forestry associative enterprises.
• Formazione Professionale (Professional Training) Professional training services for forestry operators, ornamental greenery professionals, and natural engineering practitioners, including safety courses, practical field training, and collaboration with European forest schools.
• Servizio Suoli (Soil Service) Soil survey, mapping, analysis, and protection services including pedological data interpretation, soil capability mapping, and tartuficulture support for the Piedmont Region.
• Patologie Ambientali (Environmental Pathology Services) Integrated pest management services including mosquito control, monitoring of non-native pathogenic insects (Popillia japonica, Anoplophora), biological control, and fire risk assessment in silvo-pastoral areas.
• Biodiversità e Aree Protette (Biodiversity and Protected Areas Services) Conservation, planning, and management services for natural resources including biodiversity protection, Natura 2000 site management, naturalistic planning, and wildlife observation support.
• Gestione Forestale (Forest Management Services) Forest management services including multifunctional forest planning, regional forest plan development, territorial forest plan coordination, CO2 absorption evaluation, and forest inventory and thematic mapping.

Quantifiable outcome

• Realizzazione del Piano forestale regionale e coordinamento dei piani forestali territoriali
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regione PiemontecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1979Socio di maggioranza (96,26%) della società. L'Istituto opera come struttura tecnica di riferimento per lo sviluppo di azioni innovative e per il supporto alle politiche nel campo forestale, ambientale e delle risorse energetiche. La Regione conferisce mandati istituzionali per attività di ricerca, gestione e sperimentazione.
• Regione Autonoma Valle d'AostaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocio azionista con partecipazione al capitale sociale. Coinvolta nelle attività dell'istituto come partner istituzionale.
• Comune di TorinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocio azionista con partecipazione al capitale sociale. Partner istituzionale nelle attività dell'istituto.
• ANCI PiemontecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociazione dei Comuni del Piemonte che ha concesso il patrocinio all'evento formativo organizzato da IPLA sul ruolo dei comuni nella lotta alle zanzare e malattie trasmissibili. Collaborazione per iniziative di formazione ai comuni piemontesi.
• Università di TorinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborazione per la predisposizione del questionario sul deperimento del frassino, insieme a Regione Piemonte e IPLA.
• Progetto Interreg InForma PluscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgetto europeo Interreg che ha coinvolto IPLA nell'organizzazione di eventi formativi sulla formazione forestale, con partecipazione di regioni e province italiane e francesi (Liguria, Valle d'Aosta).
• Ministero dell'AmbientecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizzatore con la Delegazione Italiana in Convenzione delle Alpi del Gruppo di Lavoro 'Agricoltura di Montagna e Foreste Montane', ospitato presso la sede IPLA.
• Delegazione Italiana in Convenzione delle AlpicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizzazione del primo incontro del Gruppo di Lavoro 'Agricoltura di Montagna e Foreste Montane' della Convenzione delle Alpi, con esperti di 8 nazioni (Austria, Francia, Germania, Italia, Liechtenstein, Principato di Monaco, Slovenia, Svizzera, UE).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ISPRA - Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale: Italian national environmental protection and research institute under the Ministry of Environment. Comparable as a public technical-scientific body, though operating at the national rather than regional level.
• CREA - Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria: National Italian agricultural research council with 12 research centers covering forestry, agriculture and food. Comparable as the national-level body that conducts applied agricultural/forestry research with similar technical disciplines, though at broader national scale.

Direct peers

• Fondazione Edmund Mach: Trentino research foundation conducting agricultural, forestry and food research with experimental farms. Comparable applied research and technical training entity operating as a non-profit public-private foundation.
• ARPA Piemonte: Piedmont regional environmental protection agency operating in the same region. Comparable public entity providing environmental monitoring, laboratory analysis and technical-scientific support to Regione Piemonte, with adjacent competencies (soil, air, water, biodiversity).
• Veneto Agricoltura: Veneto regional agency operating experimental farms, forestry and environmental research. Comparable as a regional in-house entity delivering applied agricultural and forestry research with experimental estates.
• ERSAF - Ente Regionale per i Servizi all'Agricoltura e alle Foreste: Lombardy regional agency providing forestry, agricultural and rural development services. Closest comparable: same in-house regional public-entity model performing applied research, forest management and technical support to a regional government.
• ARSIA - Agenzia Regionale per lo Sviluppo e l'Innovazione nel settore Agricolo e Forestale: Tuscany regional agency (now incorporated into Regione Toscana structures) historically providing agricultural and forestry innovation and technical services. Comparable regional in-house applied research and policy support model.

Regional players

• DREAM - Distretto Rurale e dell'Attrattività della Montagna: Italian rural/mountain district development entity covering Alpine regions. Comparable as a regional partnership working on environmental, forestry and sustainable development mandates; overlaps in international cooperation project execution.

Emerging players

• ETIFOR: University of Padova spin-off offering applied forestry research, training and consulting. Comparable in forestry training, bioenergy and forest management consulting; commercial competitor for IPLA's market-side activities.

Others

• Compagnia delle Foreste: Italian forestry consultancy and technical publisher. Comparable as ecosystem participant in the Italian forestry sector providing publications, training and technical support adjacent to IPLA's service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ipla
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/ipla
• Facebookfacebook.com/ipla

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Istituto Piante da Legno e Ambiente di Torino