UNITE – Forest-Human-Machine Interplay – Building Resilience, Redefining Value Networks and Enabling Meaningful Experiences

The UNITE Flagship makes use of new technologies to determine the structure and functionality of the forest ecosystem and produces agile methods for processing data based on forest data. It also aims to develop smart decision support and the forecasting of forest use as well as the management of spatial data and uncertainties in forest calculations. The Flagship’s researchers will also use gamification to develop gameful forest interactions and virtual-reality approaches for enhancing human-nature interplay both in the real world and in virtual environments. Through gamification the Flagship will, among other things, improve the efficiency of wood procurement and promote the recreational use of nature while ensuring the sustainability of forest use.

The UNITE Flagship brings together world-leading research teams in forest sciences, geospatial technology and gamification. High-level research and co-creation with key stakeholders and scientific collaborators will provide knowledge-based support for societies, industry and individuals to help them adapt to changes caused by changes in natural, business and societal systems. The cooperation will support the creation of a biosociety that will provide a sustainable, rich and meaningful living for generations to come.

• Director: Professor Heli Peltola, University of Eastern Finland
• Number of researchers: around 150
• Host organisations: University of Eastern Finland, Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, Tampere University and Natural Resources Institute Finland
• UNITE Flagship website
• X: @UNITEflagship
• E-mail address: uniteflagship(at)nls.fi