AI-driven innovation in forest management: Insights from Stora Enso and GOODIN

As one of the world’s largest forest owners, Stora Enso places biodiversity as a strategic pillar. Recognizing its role in maintaining ecosystem health and resilience, the company is pioneering efforts to integrate biodiversity considerations into every aspect of their forest management practices. This commitment not only enhances the ecological balance but also supports long-term sustainability and profitability in the forestry sector.

Biodiversity stands at the heart of the strategy of Stora Enso. According to Jani Kaskinen, VP of Precision Forestry, there is an opportunity to lead with innovative, data-driven solutions that enable people to make data-driven decisions more accurately. However, there has been a rarity of accurate biodiversity data utilized in business decision making. Yet, the challenge could be overcome.

Jenni Kuusivuori, VP of Digitalization at Stora Enso, emphasized how Stora Enso aims to enable all their employees to harness data and AI to push the boundaries of operational excellence and sustainability in Forestry business.

At Stora Enso, every data point counts. The approach is holistic: each piece of data informs strategies and operations, optimizing outcomes for forests, customers, and the organization alike. This careful use of data sets the stage for innovations that can grow and last.

However, it is not just about data and technology. To build trust in data within an organization, it is crucial to enable a culture that values transparency, accuracy, and accessibility of and to the data. How to go about this then? Together with Fusion company GOODIN, Stora Enso has built an understanding of the status quo and concluded five crucial steps to improve:

1. Start by ensuring that data sources are reliable and that the data collection methods are robust and clear to all stakeholders.
2. Implement rigorous data governance practices that include checks for accuracy and consistency and involve the end-users of the data in the planning to make it useful.
3. Provide comprehensive training to help employees understand how to interpret and use the data correctly and to ensure their data and AI literacy increases with help of GOODIN Pulse – a systematic & objective research tool for measuring change among people and to enable knowledge-based leadership.
4. Encourage teams to engage with the data regularly through well-designed dashboards and user-friendly interfaces that make data analysis an integral part of daily decision-making processes.
5. Regularly share success stories where data-driven decisions have led to positive outcomes, thereby demonstrating the tangible benefits of trusting and utilizing data.

This approach not only demystifies data, but also integrates it seamlessly into the organizational workflow, enhancing confidence and reliance on data-driven insights across the board making the data collected useful and AI utilization part of the everyday operations.

Jenni Kuusivuori highlights that Stora Enso’s journey is marked by agile projects, which adapt to ever-changing conditions, driven by robust management support and a commitment to leveraging AI.

Looking ahead, ‘Nature Tech’ stands as a transformative force in forestry. This growing field combines technology and ecological science to revolutionize how we manage and interact with natural environments. By leveraging AI, Stora Enso anticipates significant advancements in real-time forest monitoring, predictive analytics for forest health, and automated management systems that could redefine sustainable practices across the industry.

On Monday 29th April 2024, this inspiring story was shared in the BLOOM event organized by Fusion Ecosystem and Reaktor. This story showcases how Stora Enso aims to ensure that the collected data is not merely stored but actively employed to foster innovation and achieve excellence in biodiversity management. It was a highlight for how AI and a dedicated team of professionals are crucial in navigating the complexities of modern forestry, illustrating a future where technology and nature go hand in hand.