The 10th FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference brought together ministers, state secretaries, and experts from more than 30 countries in Stockholm, marking the conclusion of Sweden's presidency of the pan-European forest policy cooperation. Chaired by Sweden's Minister for Rural Affairs Peter Kullgren, the two-day conference addressed questions central to the future of European forests: biodiversity, climate resilience, competitiveness, and workforce supply.

The conference closed with a field excursion organized by the Swedish Forest Agency on behalf of the Government Offices, covering several areas of Swedish forestry practice, from family forestry and forest regeneration to national forest inventory.

AirForestry was part of the excursion.

Sveaskog's segment on technology and innovation opened with CEO Erik Brandsma, after which participants were divided into two groups rotating between two demonstration points. One focused on AirForestry's autonomous drone technology for forest thinning; the other on electrified timber transport.

Caroline Walerud and Olle Gelin presented AirForestry's work alongside Sara Sjöberg, forest analyst at Sveaskog. The session gave approximately 100 participants, ministers, state secretaries, lobbyists, and members of various European interest organizations, a direct look at what autonomous thinning in practice looks like.

The excursion also featured contributions from Skogssällskapet, Skogforsk, Linnaeus University, and SLU. Mellanskog, via a private forest owner, served as the host landowner.

Photo credit: Peter Rombai/University of Sopron