Edžus, CEO of Woodstem Latvia, recently took part in a seminar at the Faculty of Forest and Environmental Sciences of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, where he shared practical insights into the use of drones in private forest management and Woodstem’s day-to-day operations.

The seminar brought together representatives from both public and private forestry sectors to discuss the practical applications of drone technology in modern forest management. Representatives from Latvijas valsts meži (Latvian State Forests) presented their experience with drones in state forest management, while Edžus shared his perspective on how this technology is used in the private forestry sector.

For Edžus, the visit was particularly meaningful, as he returned to his former university, this time as a guest lecturer rather than a student.

How drone technology Is transforming forest management

During his presentation, Edžus explained that although drones are no longer a new technology in forestry, rapid developments in artificial intelligence, mapping technologies and data processing are making their applications increasingly accessible, efficient and practical.

He shared how Woodstem uses drones in its daily operations to collect detailed information about forest properties, monitor stand conditions and support more informed forest management decisions.

One of the key topics of his presentation was remote forest inventory. Edžus highlighted that what was once considered a future possibility is already technically achievable today. Drone-based technology enables detailed forest stand data to be collected, processed and analysed, with the results integrated directly into forest management planning systems. These developments create opportunities to improve the efficiency of forest inventories, reduce the need for certain field measurements and provide forest owners with more accurate and up-to-date information about their properties.

Next step: official recognition of drone-derived data

Despite these technological advances, there is still considerable potential to integrate drone-derived data more widely into official forestry procedures. Edžus emphasised that it is time to initiate a broader discussion with the State Forest Service of Latvia (Valsts meža dienests) about recognising drone-derived forest inventory data as an officially accepted source of information for forest management and regulatory purposes.

In his view, such developments could significantly simplify everyday processes for both forest owners and public authorities. Establishing clear standards for data accuracy, quality and verification would be an important step towards making drone-based forest inventories more widely applicable.

Connecting education, technology and practical forestry

The seminar provided an opportunity for Edžus to share his practical industry experience with future forestry professionals and discuss how modern technology is changing the way forests are managed. At Woodstem, we believe that combining forestry expertise with technological innovation is essential for improving the efficiency, transparency and sustainability of forest management.

We would like to thank the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies for hosting the seminar and providing an opportunity to share our experience with the next generation of forestry professionals.