Forest Research

What Forest Research does

Forest Research is the research and development arm of the UK's Forestry Commission, operating as a Crown body since 1919 and headquartered in Roslin, near Penicuik, Scotland. It functions as the UK government's principal provider of applied forestry science, delivering monitoring, technical advice, and analytical services to public forest authorities and commercial forest managers. The agency employs 51–100 staff, predominantly specialist scientists, foresters, and remote-sensing analysts.

The organization's product suite is anchored by long-running proprietary assets: the National Forest Inventory (NFI), a comprehensive spatial and tabular dataset of UK woodland area, species composition, and condition; ForestGALES, a mechanistic wind-risk model that simulates windthrow probability for forest stands; the Ecological Site Classification (ESC) decision-support tool for species and provenance selection; Forester, a GIS-based forest management and planning platform; and DNA/genetic services supporting provenance verification, seedlot identity, and biosecurity. Underlying technology is built on Python/R computational pipelines, ArcGIS-based geospatial analysis, and statistical modelling rather than machine learning.

Forest Research operates on a non-commercial, publicly-funded model. The majority of its income flows as grant-in-aid from Defra and the devolved forestry authorities — Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales, and the Northern Ireland Forest Service — supplemented by commissioned research contracts and licensed product revenue from ForestGALES, ESC, and dataset sales. The organization also engages in international cooperation through membership in the European Forest Institute and the planned ENFIN network, and participates in EU-funded forestry research consortia.

Name

Forest Research

Legal name

Forest Research

Website

https://forestresearch.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Forest Research is the UK government's principal forestry research agency, providing applied science, monitoring, and decision-support tools — including ForestGALES wind-risk modelling and the National Forest Inventory — to UK forest authorities and international clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forestry Research Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry (115)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Timberland Asset Management & Consulting (AFAMAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Health Surveys & Risk Assessment (Tree Hazard, Mortality) (AFAMAEAI), Forest Health Management (Pest, Disease & Invasive Species Control) (AFAMAAAE), Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF), Arborist Consulting, Tree Risk Assessments & Appraisals (HSAIADAJ)

Keywords

• Forestry research services
• Tree health diagnostics
• National forest inventory
• Wind risk modeling
• Decision support tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Penicuik

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Forest Research is Great Britain's leading forestry and tree-related research organisation. It delivers applied scientific research, monitoring, development and advisory services supporting sustainable tree, wood and forest management, complemented by proprietary decision support tools (ForestGALES, Forester, ESC), the National Forest Inventory, and specialised laboratory, field and social/economic research services.

Product overview

Forest Research operates as Great Britain's primary forestry and tree-related research organisation, offering a diverse portfolio of software tools, decision support systems, databases, and laboratory/field services. Core software products include ForestGALES (wind damage risk assessment with three versions: Online, Desktop 2.5, and 3.0/fgr R package), Forester (cloud-based GIS platform built on Esri ArcGIS Enterprise), and ESC (Ecological Site Classification for tree species selection). The National Forest Inventory provides comprehensive woodland monitoring data. Supporting services span DNA analysis, pest/disease diagnostics, pesticide efficacy testing, field data collection, soil/water testing, and social/economic research. The Climate Change Hub centralises climate adaptation guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Forest Inventory (NFI): A rolling programme designed to provide accurate information about the size, distribution, composition and condition of forests and woodlands in Great Britain.
• ForestGALES
• Ecological Site Classification (ESC)
• Forester
• Field Data Services

Products and services

• ForestGALES Wind Risk Model A computer-based decision support system and hybrid-mechanistic model that assesses the risk of wind damage to forests in Britain and internationally, allowing comparison of different silvicultural practices. Delivered in three versions: ForestGALES Online (web-based, free), ForestGALES Desktop 2.5 (standalone) and ForestGALES 3.0/fgr (R package for QGIS).
• Forester GIS Platform A highly configurable, enterprise cloud-based integrated web and mobile GIS platform enabling organisations to acquire, use, maintain and share forest and land management data. Built on Esri ArcGIS Enterprise with integration of ArcGIS Survey123 and ArcGIS Field Maps, originally developed for the Forestry Commission and now used by government and private sector organisations.
• Ecological Site Classification (ESC) A web-based decision support system that helps forest managers and planners select tree species ecologically suited to particular sites. Evaluates suitability of tree species and NVC woodland communities based on the match between site factors and ecological requirements, incorporating UKCP09 climate projections for future suitability.
• National Forest Inventory (NFI) A rolling programme monitoring woodland and trees within Great Britain, providing comprehensive data on forest size, distribution, composition, condition, biodiversity and social use. Includes inventory reports, forecast reports, digital woodland maps, and natural events impact assessments.
• Tree Species Database A detailed database providing information on over 60 tree species either widely grown in British forests or which could play an increasing role in the future, supporting species selection decisions.
• Seed Storage Database A database for storing and managing seed storage information as part of Forest Research's tools and resources for supporting forestry operations.
• Climate Change Hub The UK's leading source of guidance on forestry adaptation and mitigation, providing practical advice, resources and case studies to support climate decision-making and build forest resilience.
• Tree Health Diagnostic and Advisory Service Provides advice and where possible diagnosis and identification of tree pests and pathogens to support tree health management across Great Britain.
• DNA-Based Species Identification Identifies cryptic or reclusive species through DNA analysis extracted from samples, supporting species verification and biosecurity efforts.
• DNA Fingerprinting DNA fingerprinting service for genetic identification and analysis of forest genetic resources.
• Habitat Network Analysis Service Analysis service for understanding and mapping habitat connectivity and networks for ecological planning and conservation.
• Plant, Tree, Soil and Water Testing Chemical analysis of plant, water and soil samples, testing of plant stock quality and tree assessment products.
• Pesticide Efficacy Testing Quality-assured field trials of new and existing pesticides under strictly controlled environmental conditions.
• Social and Economic Research Services Research to develop understanding of how trees and woodlands can benefit society, including socio-cultural and economic assessments.
• Land Use and Ecosystem Services Research Research group providing services to the forestry and environment sectors on land use and ecosystem services assessment.
• Field Data Services High-quality field data services including field data collection, sample collection, field experiment maintenance, field QA, plant supply, training, drone operations and terrestrial laser scanning. Staff located throughout England, Scotland, and Wales offering GB-wide service.
• Urban Trees Services Specialised services for urban tree management and assessment.
• Pest Management (Dendroctonus micans) Specialised pest management advisory service for Dendroctonus micans (Great Spruce Bark Beetle).
• Forestry Statistics Comprehensive forestry and tree-related statistics including Timber Price Indices and UK Wood Production and Trade statistics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dothistroma needle blight found in 70% of Corsican pine stands inspected in Great Britain in 2006, with 44% having crown infection levels greater than 30%
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• European National Forest Inventory Network (ENFIN)significantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Forest Research was admitted to ENFIN in June 2026. ENFIN is a collaborative network including both EU and non-EU members focused on topics relating to the coordination and development of national forest inventories.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• INRAE: France's national research institute for agriculture, food and environment, including substantial forestry research programmes. Comparable as a national applied research body producing decision-support tools, ecological modelling, and biodiversity research.
• CSIRO: Australia's national science agency with a forestry research portfolio. Comparable as a publicly funded applied research organisation providing decision-support tools, ecological modelling, and large-scale environmental datasets.
• Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke): Finland's national research institute for forest, bioeconomy and food systems. Comparable as a state-owned research body conducting applied forestry research, forest inventory, and providing decision-support tools to forest managers and policymakers.
• USDA Forest Service: US federal agency responsible for national forest research, inventory, and management support. Directly comparable to Forest Research as the US equivalent national forest research organisation providing inventory, decision-support tools, and tree health research.
• European Forest Institute (EFI): Pan-European forest research organisation coordinating research and policy across 30+ member countries. Directly comparable given Forest Research's recent ENFIN admission and overlapping mandate on national forest inventory coordination and applied forest science.
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU): Sweden's national agricultural and forestry research university. Comparable to Forest Research in applied forestry science, species suitability modelling, and decision-support for sustainable forest management.
• WSL - Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research: Swiss federal research institute for forest and landscape science. Directly comparable in scope — applied forest research, decision support, monitoring, and ecosystem services — to Forest Research.
• Canadian Forest Service (NRCan): Canadian federal forest research agency within Natural Resources Canada. Comparable as a national forest science organisation providing research, monitoring, and pest/disease management guidance analogous to Forest Research's role in GB.

Regional players

• Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM): Malaysia's national forest research institute under the Ministry of Natural Resources. Comparable as a tropical counterpart national forest research body providing inventory, tree health, and biodiversity research, though operating in a different climatic zone.

Others

• Royal Forestry Society: UK-based charity and membership body for forestry professionals. Adjacent peer — Forest Research researchers publish in the RFS Quarterly Journal of Forestry — but it functions as a professional society rather than a research provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/forestresearchuk.bsky.social
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@forestresearchuk
• Facebookfacebook.com/forestresearchuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forest-research-uk
• Instagrambsky.app/profile/forestresearchuk.bsky.social

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Forest Research