Digital innovation hub boosts forest sector in northern Sweden

– Forest map products made with the areal laser scanning data are a fantastic resource, says Axel Ljudén, SLU graduate and co-founder of the tech company Ecotype. They are one of several actors who have used SLU’s detailed forest data to create new tools.

– When we refine this data into user-friendly tools, we create great value for both the industry and the general public, says Axel.

They began by developing an app for mushroom picking and from there built their way toward what they call Skogshubben, a platform with specially adapted digital tools for forestry professionals. In November 2025, they were named University Spin-off of the Year at the Umeå Gala.

– It’s about packaging complex information so that it becomes practical decision support in everyday life, close at hand. It feels incredibly fun and is proof that what we are doing is value-creating, says Axel Ljudén.

Forest data reaches key actors

Detailed forest data is in high demand, but the right tools must end up in the right hands. And that requires a shared context where these can meet.

The innovation hub Digital Impact North is built on collaboration between Umeå University, Region Västerbotten, the Municipality of Umeå, RISE Umeå and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The goal is to establish the region as an internationally strong area for the development of the future digital society, a hub and helping hand for the region’s companies and public authorities. Carola Häggström, Anneli Ågren and Anna-Lena Axelsson make up SLU’s project office. Since the start in 2023 they have used this platform for crucial outreach with many of the university’s digital tools.

– We have base funding to develop and produce maps and various types of tools. But this initiative has meant that we have received resources to disseminate data and results further and provide concrete support to different actors, says Anna-Lena Axelsson, environmental analysis coordinator and head of the National Forest Data Lab at SLU.

Through Digital Impact North, experts and developers at a total of 110 public authorities and around 20 companies have received help in using and refining data, AI models and maps from SLU. The hope is that they, in turn, will reach many more end users than SLU can manage to reach on its own.

– We have strategically chosen to turn to public authorities. They are the experts and then have points of contact and networks with different end users, says Anneli Ågren, who in her research has developed several of SLU’s advanced mapping tools. The participants’ continuous feedback has also helped researchers adapt the tools towards the shared needs.

– That means that what we ultimately release openly is good and useful for as many people as possible, says Anneli Ågren.

Driving digital development in northern Sweden

SLU’s forest data is not limited to users in northern Sweden alone. But the investment in digital infrastructure in the north is even more important as distances are great and the end user depends on digital information to make decisions.

– Many forest owners do not live near the forest they own. Being able to rely on independent data can be crucial for making informed decisions about their forest, says Anna-Lena Axelsson.
In the same way, the collaboration also contributes to continued innovation and technological development taking place in northern Sweden. Thanks to the goldmine of forest data, research in Umeå is today at the forefront. And more future initiatives are on the way; including a new arena for advanced data analysis and a new supercomputer tailored for forest technology research.

– I think it is very important that we invest in Norrland and retain expertise in Norrland. We are world-leading in many of these technologies. When we gain access to a regional data centre, we can shorten queues and gain access to much more computing capacity. It is absolutely possible to be cutting edge even outside Stockholm, says Anneli Ågren.

For Axel Ljudén and Ecotype, continued technological development is essential in order to create the tools of the future – but so is really good data from the real world.

– We must remember that the models require solid field data, such as the sample plots of the National Forest Inventory, in order to be reliable. Without a strong foundation in reality, digital tools never become truly good. By improving the quality of the underlying data, we simply raise the bar for the entire industry, says Axel Ljudén.