Francis Charette from FPInnovations, the world leader renowned for its part in supporting the Canadian forest sector’s global competitiveness, has agreed to travel to Scotland to address the Institute of Chartered Foresters’ (ICF) annual flagship two-day conference.
Innovation for Change – New drivers for tomorrow’s forestry will be held on 2-3 May at Edinburgh International Conference Centre. It will focus on the impact of a fourth industrial revolution, one fusing science and technology so fast that it’s now hard to keep pace. The programme will explore not just how it affects the way we operate and the changes that will affect the forestry and arboricultural sector, but also the human shifts of mind set and ethics quite unlike anything we’ve experienced before.
FPInnovations, where Francis is Associate Research Leader, are specialists in creating innovative scientific solutions for forestry. During his presentation on the opening day of the conference, Francis will talk about the benefits and challenges of automation in forestry; one of the many areas where we will also have to consider ethics when we look at our future workforce.
Innovation for Change will be opened by Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing MSP. Other speakers include: Fiona Lickorish, Cranfield University (strategic foresight to manage change); Prof Tariq Butt, Swansea University (biopesticide-based tree pest controls); Prof John Mackay, University of Oxford (biotechnology and tree breeding); Jeremie Leonard, BioCarbon Engineering (unmanned aerial vehicles); Prof Iain H Woodhouse, University of Edinburgh and Carbomap (remote sensing innovations); Juan Suárez-Minguez, Forest Research (detection of tree stress by thermal imagery); Sharon Hosegood FICFor, Sharon Hosegood Associates Ltd (radar surveys of urban tree roots); and Prof Stefano Pascucci, University of Exeter Business School (Circular Economy).
Commenting on the significance of the Institute’s 2018 National Conference, Chair and ICF Associate member Chris Hamill said:
“Our working environment is becoming increasingly competitive, meaning identification of emerging innovation is fundamental to staying ahead of the game. It’s an all-round foundation that we’re laying – not just in technology and science, but also in how we sensitively approach challenges, such as the human impact of a changing sector.
“The Institute’s calls for us to continually improve, and the National Conference offers just that - a proven platform for knowledge exchange that you can use. All part of maintaining excellence in our industry.”
There has never been a time of greater promise, or one of greater potential peril. It all comes down to how we manage change, people and our values. ICF’s National Conference 2018 aims to provide the tools to do just that.
Early Bird Ticket discounts end 31 December 2017 at: www.charteredforesters.org/innovatecon
