I would like to strongly recommend the 18th Symposium on Systems Analysis in Forest Resources (SSAFR) that will be held in Puerto Varas, Chile on March 3-7, 2019. I attended the SSAFR in 2015 in Uppsala (Sweden) and I have to simply say that it was an excellent conference! The presentations covered a wide range of topics and gave me perfect overview about optimization problems that today’s forestry has to face. If you are a forest geek, you love Operations Research and you would like to know more about how forestry can become more competitive and resource efficient, then continue reading about this great and must-attend event in 2019…
Background
Forests and forestry play a decisive role for society transferring into a bioeconomy; for the renewal of energy systems; to mitigate climate change; to
protect species; to provide a range of ecosystem services associated with tangible as well as non-tangible assets. This forces owners, managers and operators of the forest sector to redesign value chains, to make them more competitive and resource efficient, with a more differentiated set of end products and end users. The increasing claims on the forest resource tend to generate conflicts as well as pressure for new possibilities that can lead to untenable solutions or forgone opportunities if not attended to with care. Seen against this background it is not surprising the symposium attracts great interest. The task of Operations Research is precisely to be where things happen, to bring scientifically based methods from universities and institutes to practical application; and to grapple with ever more complex problems facing decision makers in business, administration, and politics.
Since 1975, SSAFR has been the premier international forum for operations researchers, systems analysts and management scientists studying forestry, natural resources management and environmental problems.
Why to attend SSAFR 2019?
Venue
Wedged between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes, running from the 17th to the 56th southern latitudes, Chile is home to a diverse array of forest ecosystems ranging from the Sclerophyll Mediterranean woodlands in the north to the Magellanic rainforests of Southern Patagonia. Due to its humid, temperate climate, a significant portion of the country, including the area around Puerto Varas, is ideal for industrial timber production. The lakes, volcanoes, temperate rainforests and forest plantations of Southern Chile will create the perfect backdrop for this Symposium.
Keynote speakers
See the list of key speakers here: Keynote Speakers
What can you expect?
Every two years, the SSAFR brings along more than 100 participants from over 20 countries. In average, more than 65 presentations are presented, and are accompanied by interesting poster sessions. In total, many different thematic areas are covered, such as:
- techiques for forest planning
- planing and control systems for the forest-based supply chains
- multi criteria decision analysis methods
- educational tools in operational research
- solutions for forest operations and management
- remote sensing
- forest transportation & routing
- inventory sampling
- harvest scheduling
- uneven aged forest management
- carbon modelling
In 2019, organizers invite you to submit oral presentations on forest harvest scheduling, optimal reserve site selection, wildfire management, forest transportation and supply chain optimization, bioenergy logistics, invasive species and wildlife management, forest decision support systems, forest economics and other related areas. Industry participation is highly encouraged.
Registration and deadlines
- Abstract submission deadline: September 30th, 2018
- Decision notification: October 31th, 2018
- Early bird fee deadline: Before January 31th, 2019
- Student fellowships will be offered.
- More information: info@ssafr2019.cl
Registration to the 18th Symposium on Systems Analysis in Forest Resources is available HERE!
Don’t miss this great opportunity!
My personal insights
I attended the SSAFR in Uppsala in 2015. It was a start of my PhD studies at Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and I had my first opportunity to present my research in Sweden.
I have to simply say that it was an excellent conference! The presentations covered a wide range of topics and gave me perfect overview about optimization problems that today’s forestry has to face. In addition, I got a great feedback after my presentation, what helped me to improve my research article, which recently was published: How to make better decisions in the forest sector?
I remember that networking opportunities were in abundance, and the conference definitely offered a unique opportunity to meet top researchers and industry leaders of the most influential universities and companies in the forest operational research field.
As forest and natural resources are under increasing pressure to provide a variety of services, some of which are in conflict, I am sure that the 18th Symposium on Systems Analysis in Forest Resources (SSAFR) will address these issues and provide solutions for the future.
Therefore, if you are interested in forestry, operational research, optimization and bringing research solutions to practical world, I strongly encourage you to attend this must-attend event in Puerto Varas, Chile on March 3-7, 2019. I will be there for sure!
Main photo: Symposium on Systems Analysis in Forest Resources gives also opportunities to go to the field and see real forest operation and their challenges in practice. This photo was taken at SSAFR 2015 in Sweden. Photo credit: Rafal Chudy