RetechFOR submitted its nomination for the 11th Castilla y León Económica and CaixaBank Digital Transformation Awards in the Best Digital Institution category, which recognizes the government agency, public enterprise, or institution that uses digital systems and information and communication technologies to improve the delivery of public services, optimize their management, and/or enhance the sustainability of local communities.
RETECHFOR – Forestry Technology Network
A technological and territorial network for forest monitoring and environmental disaster mitigation as drivers for the development of the forest bioeconomy.
RetechFOR is a collaboration between the Autonomous Communities of Castile and León and the Canary Islands aimed at advancing the understanding and management of forest resources. Its objectives include promoting the bioeconomy, improving the efficiency of the forestry industry, and reducing the impacts of environmental disasters, particularly those caused by forest fires, which are becoming increasingly frequent and intense. To achieve this, RetechFOR is driving the digital and ecological transition of the forestry sector through the use of new aeronautical, aerospace, and data intelligence technologies.
RetechFOR aims to minimize its carbon footprint, promote and transform the local economy to create a more robust and resilient model capable of addressing climate change, and, as its ultimate priority, generate sustainable and lasting local socioeconomic impacts.
The nomination for the Best Digital Institution Award at the 11th Digital Transformation Awards, organized by the magazine *Castilla y León Económica*, is based on its broad and cross-cutting impact, which has decisively driven the effective implementation of new technologies and made a direct contribution to the digital transformation of the region, both within the administration itself and across the broader institutional and social ecosystem of Castilla y León, as outlined below:
Wide-ranging and cross-cutting impact
As part of the RetechFOR project, the Regional Government of Castile and León has launched and awarded three lines of grants through a public call for proposals: one for the implementation of the project, which was awarded to the “AG RETECHFOR” consortium, comprising six technology centers in the region: Cesefor, ITCL, AIR, CARTIF, ITAGRA, and CTME, the Universities of Valladolid and León, and the companies Vexiza and Luce (€10,031,197.00); another for the digitalization of primary processing companies in the wood and forest products sector, with 53 companies benefiting from a total amount of €689,581.83, and a third for digital entrepreneurship projects and forestry startups, awarded to 7 projects for a total of €507,715.96. The Public Society for Infrastructure and the Environment (SOMACYL) has received, through a cash contribution, €5,024,380.13 for the digitization of the administration’s own work in this area, as well as the coordination and integration of all generated data with corporate networks and services.
Innovation, Integration, and Transformation
AG RETECHFOR aims to promote digitalization, technological development, and innovation across the various services and departments of the General Directorate of Natural Heritage and Forest Policy within the Regional Ministry of the Environment, Housing, and Land Use Planning. The initiatives are primarily focused on the areas of forest fire suppression, natural environment planning, and forest management, although other functional areas, such as fire prevention and post-fire restoration, will also benefit.
The most far-reaching innovation initiative, developed in collaboration with various technology centers, focuses on the implementation of a comprehensive data platform, as well as the integration of automated systems and advanced analytical capabilities that will directly support forest planning, monitoring, and management activities. This approach aims to enhance operational efficiency and provide technical teams with more robust and accurate tools.
The future data environment will enable the integration of both currently used software applications and those that will undergo further development, as well as planned new developments. This digital environment will facilitate interoperability, internal communication, and the structured exchange of information among the various related services and departments, thereby creating an ecosystem supported by technological assets (applications and equipment) for the development of automation projects and the design of solutions that will optimize public management in forestry, facilitate private management, and provide citizens with easier access to information.
In addition, the startup grant program includes seven interesting projects covering a range of topics, such as the use of artificial intelligence in truffle farming, the development of a comprehensive technological solution for forest fire prevention and management, the dynamic classification and quantification of forest fuels in Castile and León using remote sensors and artificial intelligence techniques, the monitoring of forest stands with 3D laser scanners, a digital tool for calculating carbon footprint offsets, and a system for diagnosing and predicting the decline of Pinus pinaster based on the application of artificial intelligence models to multi-temporal remote sensing data and climate variables.
Promoting the forest bioeconomy
The project helps retain the population in rural areas by modernizing industries linked to the forestry sector and improving the management of forest resources. In this context, the aid granted to these industries has facilitated the implementation of technological developments aimed, among other objectives, at complying with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), a regulation designed to curb global deforestation associated with the production and consumption of certain products by ensuring their traceability.
Through RetechFOR, the forest bioeconomy is being promoted, fostering a sustainable economic model that directly contributes to retaining the population in rural areas by supporting local industries. This approach combines both the stimulation of economic activity and the strengthening of the productive sector linked to forest resources.
Information, Communication, and Outreach
To maximize the project’s impact at the regional, economic, and social levels, outreach activities are carried out through the website www.retechfor.es, a newsletter, social media (LinkedIn and X), and technical publications by RetechFOR and/or grant recipients.
Notable among the various outreach events held were a technical workshop on innovation attended by all members of the consortium on September 11, 2025, and an institutional launch event on October 21, 2025, featuring representatives from the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Civil Service; as well as other workshops on new technologies for forest fires at the León Fire Center on November 27, 2025.
Since the project is aimed not only at the general public but also at students who will be entering the workforce in the next 3 to 10 years, a series of informational sessions is being held. Through the Regional Ministry of Education, talks and workshops have been held for 10th-grade and high school students at secondary schools in Belorado (BU), Ponferrada (PO), Venta de Baños (PA), Arrabal del Portillo (VA), Zamora, Salamanca, and Segovia, with the goals of introducing students to the world of innovation in the forestry sector, demonstrate how technology can prevent fires and protect the environment, foster interest in STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), and promote ecological awareness and the value of forest ecosystems; and during the month of March, sessions will be held at the Palencia and Soria campuses of the UVA, and at the ULE campus in Ponferrada, where bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees related to the forestry sector are offered, drawing students’ attention to the importance of forest protection, the evolution of applied technology, and the potential of data use for decision-making in emergency situations such as wildfires.
To disseminate the relevant and transferable results of RetechFOR’s partners and funded entities, the First International Conference on Digitalization in Sustainable Forest Management will be held on May 5 and 6, 2026, in Burgos.
Jobs created for women
It is also worth noting that the jobs created by the project not only help keep people in rural areas but also explicitly incorporate a gender perspective. RetechFOR encourages the hiring and training of women in technical and management roles, where they have traditionally been underrepresented, a fact clearly reflected in the composition of the project’s own coordinating team, which consists of five people, four of whom are women.
From left to right: Fátima Becerro Morgado, Mónica García Ballesteros, Carolina de Castro de la Cruz, Ángel Oscar Abajo García, and Eva María Villoria Gonzalez.
CONCLUSION
It is, therefore, an excellent example of how institutions are using digital systems and information and communication technologies to improve the delivery of public services, optimize their management, and/or enhance the sustainability of local communities—particularly in areas of great concern to our society, such as natural disasters, the conservation of our biodiversity, and the sustainable use of our renewable resources.
Receiving this recognition would highlight the commitment and efforts made toward creating a more innovative, inclusive, efficient, and public-service-oriented government.
