July 8, 2026 – Digital transformation is advancing in the forestry sector, and there are an increasing number of tools that allow manual processes to be replaced by connected systems capable of improving efficiency, data quality, and decision-making. In this context, the RetechFOR project has driven the consolidation of SISILV (Comprehensive Forest Marking and Inventory System), a tool designed to comprehensively digitize marking and inventory work, which is already being presented to technical staff from various regional environmental agencies in some of the provinces of Castile and León.
The solution, developed by the Cesefor Foundation, enables integrated management of the entire work cycle, from planning activities in the office to data collection in the field, automatic data processing, and the generation of technical reports.
From the Tree to the Technical Report
Traditionally, many forestry projects have relied on paper forms, manual entries, and subsequent transcription and calculation processes carried out in the office. This model requires a significant investment of time and increases the risk of errors during information management.
SISILV was created precisely to address this situation. The system digitizes the entire forestry workflow and makes the data collected in the forest immediately available for review, analysis, and validation.
The ecosystem is structured around three main components: a web platform for managers, a field app for forestry technicians, and a dedicated app for the operational monitoring of fieldwork. This architecture makes it possible to tailor the features to the needs of each professional role while keeping all information connected and synchronized.
A New Module for Forest Inventories
One of the major advances made during the project’s development has been the creation of a specific module for forest inventories. The tool includes its own mobile app and a calculation engine based on the methodologies and equations of the National Forest Inventory (IFN4), capable of automatically processing the information collected in the field.
Thanks to this system, users can obtain key forest variables such as volume, basal area, number of trees, and density indices, significantly reducing the time required to process the information and produce technical results.
In addition, the app works without a cellular signal, allowing users to work in remote forest areas and sync the data with the central platform later.
Voice and Artificial Intelligence Enhance the Experience
Another of the most innovative areas of development at SISILV is the incorporation of new ways to interact with technology through voice recognition and artificial intelligence.
The system includes a voice data collection feature that allows information to be recorded directly via voice commands during surveying work, reducing data entry time and streamlining field operations.
In addition, the web platform includes an AI-powered assistant. This agent can answer questions about how the tool works, guide users through various processes, and provide support for inquiries related to forest management and silviculture.
Results that exceed expectations
The development of SISILV has not been limited to the creation of new digital tools. During the project’s implementation, the ecosystem was deployed and validated under real-world working conditions in collaboration with staff from the Regional Government of Castile and León, allowing its usefulness to be tested in various forest management contexts.
Pilot implementations were carried out in seven Regional Environmental Offices in Burgos, Palencia, and Salamanca, exceeding the initial target of six implementations. In addition, outreach sessions were held (including one online session for technical staff throughout Castile and León), along with specific training for managers and field technicians, and operational tests that allowed for the collection of issues and suggestions for improvement to further develop the platform.
Other notable achievements include the launch of the new forest inventory module, the publication of the apps on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, integration with the corporate systems of the Regional Government of Castile and León, and the development of two particularly significant technological innovations: voice-activated data entry and an artificial intelligence-based assistant.
The project's conclusions highlight that SISILV has met or exceeded all of its specific objectives, establishing itself as a comprehensive digital ecosystem that spans from work planning to the delivery of technical results, with applications distributed through official channels and real users already working with the platform.
With SISILV, RetechFOR takes another step forward in the digitization of forest management, providing technicians and managers with a tool capable of connecting the office and the field, automating processes, and improving the quality of the information on which management decisions are based.
