Editor's note
Hello and welcome to this edition of our tech update.
In this issue, one of the highlights comes from Mid Sweden University's breakthrough research on 5G drone-controlled forest machines. Their field tests successfully demonstrated remote operation of forest equipment using drones as airborne 5G base stations - a development that could be transformative for the industry. What makes this particularly exciting is that mastering reliable 5G remote control represents a crucial stepping stone toward fully autonomous forest operations. Once we can seamlessly control machines remotely through 5G networks, we've essentially solved many of the connectivity and latency challenges that currently limit autonomous forestry systems.
This is just one of several developments featured in this issue. Thanks for reading, I hope you find these updates useful in your work.
Axel
5G Drone Remote Forest Machine Control Advances
Mid Sweden University conducted groundbreaking 5G drone tests to remotely control forest machines in low-connectivity areas. The research shows remote operations are technically feasible but highlights challenges like connection reliability in bad weather for commercial use.
Ecotype Finalizing Major Investment Round to Scale Forest Tech Platform
Ecotype is currently closing a significant investment round to scale their cloud-based platform Skogshubben. The company plans to nearly double their workforce within a year. Skogshubben serves major clients as a comprehensive platform for forest management, analysis, and timber purchasing. They're actively hiring sales people - apply here
Chinese laser logging
A new Chinese device, the “laser obstacle remover,” claims to trim branches from 500 m away and cut 10 cm trees within minutes. Yet, with invisible beams and unclear specs on power and cost, it feels more buzz than breakthrough - intriguing if true, but doubtful as a forestry game-changer.
PlantVation Partners with Planteva for North American Expansion
Swedish cultivation tech company PlantVation AB joins forces with Canadian agri-tech Planteva to launch Seedling-as-a-Service in North America. Montreal facility will feature 2 QS GreenBox systems producing 50M+ seedlings annually by 2026.
AI-Equipped Autonomous Forestry Robots Enhance Logging Operations
This article highlights how drones in agriculture has matured in 2025 with autonomous fleet coordination, precision imaging, real-time analytics, and thermal irrigation.