Engineers and others who work in support of the forest and timber industries are meeting at a symposium of the Forestry Engineering Group (FEG) in Cumbernauld, Scotland on Friday October 31.
The symposium title will be “Engineering the Wood Supply - Networking to Improve Efficiencies". It will focus on how innovations in technology and engineering, strategic planning and tight management, as well as the supporting areas of research, development and training, can contribute to competitiveness in the forest industries at national and international levels.
Speakers will include:
- Jan Fryk, managing director of Skogforsk, Sweden's forest research organisation, and Professor Glen Murphy from Oregon State University in the USA, who will highlight the potential efficiency gains from recent developments in machinery, staff deployment and training;
- Luco Stoppino from Efeso Consulting, who will look at modern approaches to efficient management and how they can be applied to the forest industries;
- Phil Higginbotham from British sawmiller James Callander & Sons Ltd, who will report on the outcomes of a specialist intensive training programme designed to address manpower shortages in the industry;
- Jari Mennala from John Deere Forestry, who will highlight some technical developments that will increase efficiency in harvesting machine operations;
- Wave Tyrrell from the British Forestry Commission's Forestry Civil Engineering division, who will report on a major research project linking improved road quality to more efficient transport within the forest; and
- Elspeth McDonald and Steve Penny from the British Forestry Commission's Forest Research agency. Ms McDonald will report on a research project aimed at planting the trees which will produce timber of the quality needed for future markets, and discuss the interface between engineering and timber quality. Mr Penny will describe ways of engaging with Forest Research, developing networks, accessing information and helping to utilise the outputs from research to tackle the challenges facing the forest industry.
The Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) and UK Forest Products Association (the trade association of the UK's wood-processing industries) are supporting the symposium, and seven Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours will be awarded to participants.
The event will be held in the Westerwood Hotel in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, Scotland from 9:30am to 5pm on Friday October 31. Further information and registration forms are available from the Institution of Agricultural Engineers' website, www.iagre.org, or from Bruce Hamilton, the FEG secretary, bruce.hamilton@forestry.gsi.gov.uk.
NOTES TO EDITOR:
- The Forestry Engineering Group is a professional association of engineers, especially civil and mechanical engineers, who specialise in supporting the forest industries in the United Kingdom. It is part of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, and holds a symposium in the United Kingdom every year.
- The Forestry Commission is the government department for forestry in Great Britain. It supports woodland owners with grants, tree felling licences, regulation and advice; promotes the benefits of forests and forestry; and advises Ministers in the UK Government, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government on forestry policy. It manages more than one million hectares (2.56 million acres) of national forest land owned by Ministers for multiple public benefits such as sustainable timber production, public recreation, nature conservation, and rural and community development. For further information, visit www.forestry.gov.uk.
- Forestry Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Services are divisions of the Forestry Commission that provide civil and mechanical engineering services to internal and external clients.
- Forest Research is the Commission's agency that carries out world-class scientific research and technical development relevant to forestry for a range of internal and external clients. For further information, visit www.forestresearch.gov.uk.
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