October 26, 2020—Knowledge transfer and the introduction of innovation into the business community were the central themes of RetechFOR at Startup OLÉ Salamanca 2026, one of Europe’s leading events dedicated to entrepreneurship, technology, and collaboration among companies, research centers, government agencies, and investors.
As part of the Cesefor Forum “Digitalization and AI in the Forestry Sector of Castile and León: The Forest Moves Forward, ” a roundtable discussion was held, moderated by David Villada, Head of the Forestry Promotion Service of the Regional Government of Castile and León. Participants included Rodrigo Gómez, CTO of the Cesefor Foundation; and Gonzalo Álvarez, project specialist at Föra Forest Technologies; and Javier Melús, a researcher at the Castile and León Institute of Technology (ITCL).
The roundtable also highlighted the collaborative capacity of the innovation ecosystem in Castile and León. Both the Cesefor Foundation and the Castilla y León Technology Institute (ITCL) are part of NODDO, the association of Technology Centers of Castile and León, which supported and highlighted the participation of its member centers during Startup OLÉ 2026. The event also featured AIR Institute, a leading organization in artificial intelligence and digital technologies, reinforcing the role of collaboration among technology centers, companies, and research organizations to accelerate knowledge transfer and bring innovation to market.
During the session, the speakers analyzed how technologies such as artificial intelligence, computer vision, robotics, and digital platforms are helping to transform forest management, improve business competitiveness, and create new opportunities for the forest bioeconomy. The panel also served to introduce companies, entrepreneurs, and professionals to some of the results developed within the framework of RetechFOR, highlighting the importance of translating research advances into market-ready solutions.
On behalf of Cesefor Foundation, developments were showcased aimed at the comprehensive digitization of the forestry value chain, including smart monitoring tools based on automated image analysis, high-resolution forest inventories, and solutions for timber management and traceability.
For its part, Föra Forest Technologies presented solutions focused on operational digitization and smart management of forest harvesting operations, demonstrating how digital tools can optimize decision-making, increase the efficiency of fieldwork, and improve the flow of information among the various stakeholders in the forestry supply chain.
The Castile and León Institute of Technology (ITCL) presented several developments in the field of forestry robotics, including technologies for automated timber inventory, autonomous reforestation systems, emergency response robots, and smart platforms for transporting and monitoring forestry operations. These solutions are part of an effort to incorporate advanced technologies into forestry work to improve both productivity and operational safety.
The presentation of these results at Startup OLÉ highlighted that the challenge is no longer simply to generate innovation, but to ensure that it reaches companies and helps solve real problems in the sector. In this regard, forums such as Startup OLÉ play a key role by bringing together researchers, companies, startups, and investors, thereby fostering knowledge transfer and the creation of new opportunities for collaboration.
Participation in this event demonstrated that the solutions developed within the framework of RetechFOR are helping to accelerate the digitization of the forestry sector and build a more innovative, sustainable, and competitive bioeconomy, reinforcing the role of Castilla y León as a leading region in the development of technology applied to forestry. Likewise, the participation of Cesefor Foundation and ITCL—technology centers associated with NODDO, highlighted the importance of collaboration among innovation organizations to promote knowledge transfer and bring technological advances developed in projects such as RetechFOR.
