Forestry & Timber : the inspirer

Forestry & timber is a source of inspiration. Neosylva and Sylvamap, two start-ups from Brittany, are new arrivals on the market with especially innovative offerings.

Neosylva, investing in the forest and in timber construction !

This business wants to couple forestry investment with property development by taking action at both ends of the sector. At the head of the chain, Neosylva has got together with private forest owners, providing funding to match theirs for the development and exploitation of forest areas of at least 10 hectares. And they share the sales income 50/50 too. The contract tyinh Nesylva to the forest owner is for a 50- or 60- year term. This long term association guarantees optimum management of forests on a relevant time sclae.

The range of felled tree species is deliberately reduced, with softwoods and a few hardwoods (poplar and occasionally false acacia). Oak's 120-year cycle excludes it from the programme. At the other end of the chain, the company plans on investing in timber construction projects across 1- to 4- year cycles. Their ambition is to acquire land or a building due for renovation, designing the timber work, calling on design offices and architects, applying for planning permission, and selling the planned project or the constructed building. 80% of the wood used will be French, naturally from the resources they have helped develop.

Managing a forest from a computer with Sylvamap

Sylvampa, the other start-up, has developed an online forestry tool dedicated to forest owners and managers. This tool's designers based their project on two observations : first, France's compulsory "PSG" planning document imposes heavy contraints on users in its printed form, and second, mapping forests is a real business. Integrating mapping and project management technologies, Sylvampa enables forests to be monitored from a computer screen both directly and over time. It overlays IGN map backgrounds with land registry maps and aerial photographs; offering a display of the parcel or wooded tract featuring different access levels. The owner can also extract data for compiling financial balances. Thus based on a digital scan of the relevant "PSG" planning document, owners can now manage their forest and independently from their armchairs.

It should come as no surprise that these two start-ups have recently joined forces in a partnership arrangement. Objective: to implement digital monitoring of Neosylva's forests.

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