We want to offer you solutions. Cesefor works to improve the forestry sector, through projects in innovation and structuring. Our daily work is aimed at trying to help you in your work as a manager, owner, researcher, etc., in order to promote the growth of the forest bioeconomy and the future of the rural environment.
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Services and solutions
Technical advice
The knowledge gained from our vast experience and the incorporation of new professionals into Cesefor enables us to offer solutions suitable for each company, production process or technological development.
We offer technical advisory services in:
Our experience in the design and implementation of strategic planning instruments, as well as in the design, adaptation and development of new management models, has led us to successfully address the coordination and structuring of the forestry sector.
The concertation actions as a basis for the structuring of the forestry sector have led us to promote and provide technical assistance in various sectoral roundtables at regional and national level. They have also enabled us to participate in national and international networks for the promotion of the forestry sector and its products.
The promotion of the implementation of structuring actions such as the organisation and planning of the network of mycological enclosures of the Micocyl programme, the Strategic Plan for the structuring of the chestnut tree in Castilla y León and the recently created European network of resin territories have allowed the development of key sectors in the rural forestry area, contributing to its development and economic dynamisation.
The growing progress in the development of remote sensors and the type of data they provide is applied by Cesefor's technical and scientific team to monitor variables and parameters related to the production, state of conservation and evolution of the main ecological systems, mainly forestry.
The use of this technology is being applied in the design of production models for Iberian pine nuts, chestnuts and the monitoring of herbaceous biomass in Cantabrian pastures.
The development of phytosanitary threats in the forestry sector is constant. For this reason, Cesefor permanently monitors these threats and provides technical support for their management and/or solution.
Among other work in this area, we carry out monitoring and control activities of chestnut tree pests, collaborating with the Junta de Castilla y León and the Mesa del Castaño del Bierzo in the fight against chancre (Cryphonectria parasitica), the chestnut tree wasp (Dryocosmus kuriphilus), fungi and carpophagous insects. We are also part of the Pinea Operational Group, which aims to recover pine nut production in Spain through the application of innovative management techniques in the fight against the pine nut bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis).
Our close knowledge of the different sub-sectors related to the rural forestry environment has allowed us to develop programmes for the valorisation of different products, the results of which have enabled us to increase their value, induce indirect resources and generate new opportunities.
Thus, within the framework of the chestnut or mycology programmes, we have carried out actions to promote the product (supporting the organisation of Biocastanea, Mercasetas and Mercatrufas); we have implemented quality marks that offer food safety to the consumer and certify a sustainable origin (such as the 'Setas de Castilla y León' Quality Label) and promoted needs that have enabled the development of economic activities related to the sector.
The first 100,000 hectares of public forests to obtain PEFC certification for Sustainable Forest Management were certified by Cesefor more than 15 years ago. Today there are more than 750,000 hectares with this seal of sustainability in Castilla y León.
The Intersectoral Wood Board of Castilla y León and forest owners have counted on us for the successful implementation of the different certification systems (PEFC and FSC) of sustainable forest management of their forests, but also of their products, among which we can highlight milestones already achieved, such as the arrival on the markets of the first certified chestnut in the world, coming from groves whose forest management is certified by PEFC and for which their chestnuts have been granted this recognition of sustainable origin.
Among our next goals, the work started for the future certification of European resins and mycological productions.
Our forests have historically provided goods and services to society. At Cesefor we work to quantify and value ecosystem services by promoting investments in the territory, which have an impact on the quasi-altruistic efforts of foresters and managers.
At Cesefor we propose active solutions for the promotion of these services, and we ensure that they are carried out within a framework that promotes the conservation of biodiversity. We work within the framework of management criteria in which quantifying the resources and services offered by the environment can have an impact on improving the means and resources allocated to its management.
An example of all this has been the methodological development to evaluate the profitability of the economic and financial sustainability of forestry operations carried out within the framework of the PROMINIFUN Operational Group.
The richness of the peninsular forests is represented by ecological systems that have allowed the sustainable use of its multiple resources throughout history, making an important diversity of landscapes and activities linked to them endure.
At Cesefor we work on the design of management models that allow their adaptation to the needs of the market, consumer demand and the impact in a context of constant evolution. Thus, forests producing mushrooms and fungi, truffles, natural resins, pine nuts, chestnuts, cork, grasses and/or aromatic plants are the object of permanent work programmes such as the Micocyl programme, Castanea, natural resins and pastureland.
We also carry out the design, analysis and implementation of forestry references and management processes with the aim of favouring the durability and sustainability of our forests.
The conservation of the habitats and species that make up our landscape and natural environment requires constant attention. At Cesefor we carry out initiatives to improve technical and scientific knowledge of these habitats and species, we carry out direct actions to improve their conservation status and we develop actions to improve the connectivity of terrestrial and riparian ecosystems.
To carry out these types of interventions, we use remote sensing techniques and high-resolution geographic information systems combined with direct analysis activities that make it possible to obtain information with which we promote the necessary actions to improve natural habitats, their ecological diversity, functionality and connectivity.
Water resources are of great importance to society and, in turn, forests are major regulators of this resource. The availability of water in quantity and quality depends to a large extent on the management of the forest and riparian environment. For this reason, we have carried out projects to restore this type of ecosystem in order to improve the quality of the resource and protect the biodiversity associated with it.
Fish inventory and management activities, actions to improve the state of conservation in the river and riparian environment, such as LIFE Desmania, have allowed us to acquire more knowledge about species that make up this area and experience for the management of actions to improve the quality of water resources and watercourses, with the aim of raising public awareness of the importance of conserving river, riparian and forest habitats in order to have water in quantity and quality, as a basic and essential element for life.
Our laboratory is specialised and equipped for the determination and evaluation of mainly physico-mechanical performance of different wood products, which allows us to provide our customers with all the properties and characteristics of the product they are going to put on the market, whether it is structural timber, laminated or cross-laminated timber, boards, posts or windows, among many other products.
Our work with timber structures ranges from inspection and rehabilitation proposals to structural design and calculation, as well as quality control.
We have a wide range of services related to the behaviour of timber structures, such as:
- Advice on the structural and constructive design of timber structures, from the definition of the technical specifications of materials and products to assistance in the dimensioning and definition of construction details.
- Inspection and diagnosis of timber structures and proposals for refurbishment.
- Quality control of the manufacture of structural timber products.
We offer support and advisory services for certifications such as CE marking for wood products (structural timber, glulam, panels, poles...) as well as for innovative products without direct regulation, through harmonised standards; we also carry out Chain of Custody for PEFC and FSC seals; we calculate the carbon footprint of your industrial activity and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).
If you are interested in starting up a new line of business, Cesefor will support you in your first steps: in the definition of your product, in the pre-feasibility study and in the development of your business plan. If, on the other hand, you wish to improve the efficiency of your company's industrial processes, we offer diagnostic processes and advice for their optimisation.
Cesefor is a beneficiary of the aid granted by the call for 'Climate Projects' of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge. If you are an installer of biomass boilers for combustion, or you are thinking of incorporating them in your installations, please contact us, and we will help you with the processing of your bonuses for the reduction of CO2 emissions that come with the use of this renewable energy.
Knowledge management and communication
The information systems and the analysis of forest and environmental data are our tools to modernize the sector through mass data management, data mining, information systems, Internet of Things and inventories.
We offer services in:
The implementation of planned and executed actions requires decision-making based on accurate and precise information. That is why we develop tools to collect, analyse and interpret data to make it useful for decision-making.
Digitising and automating key processes in projects, or in certain business routines, contributes to improving efficiency and competitiveness. We try to streamline and make the management of information flows more accessible, with tools that facilitate the generation, organisation and access to these documents.
Communicating and disseminating appropriately the actions, achievements and knowledge generated by the different agents in the forestry and environmental sector is also part of our work. The development and execution of communication and media plans (adapted to the needs of the issuer and the different target audiences) and the use of the appropriate channels is essential to publicise what we do.
We take care of promoting and making known, in a systematic and efficient way, who does what and with what results to contribute to the improvement of the forestry sector. We are committed to processes that facilitate the transmission of information and experiences to all agents in the sector in the foreground and, by extension, to society in general.
More than 15 years support us in the execution of different types of sectoral fairs, scientific congresses and national and international conferences. We are capable of developing the planning and logistics organization (spaces and services) and participants (technical secretariat), the branding and communication of the event, and the administrative management of the meeting itself, among other services.
Big data management and analysis
We believe in digitalisation as the means to improve forest planning and management, and increase the competitiveness of the bioeconomy and its agents. We can help you to implement in a short period of time tools to make more efficient your management, process improvement and product marketing.
We offer services in:
We offer you an in-house software development team to analyse your needs and develop customised applications. Business management applications for the forestry sector, marketing of forestry products, document management of your work processes. We will provide you with assessment so that you can access financing to undertake the digitisation of your activity.
We have 15 years of experience in the development of forest inventories of infrastructure and equipment, biodiversity and others. We advise you on the process and develop methodologies and tools -from remote sensing to field digitisation- so that you can tackle inventory processes of natural resources and infrastructures in your territory.
We help you generating knowledge from your information. Big data in the natural environment is essential for the correct forest planning and management. We accompany you in the design and development of information analysis tools that use Artificial Intelligence and automatic learning.
We develop traceability systems to digitise the information of the entire value chain of timber and non-timber forest products. It ensures the confidence of the consumer and of all the agents involved in the harvesting and marketing process.
The scale of work in the forestry sector and the characteristics of the natural environment demand solutions to work in the office and the natural environment in a coordinated way. We offer tools that break down the barriers of low connectivity and coverage, helping forestry workers and citizens with easy and agile applications to work in teams.
The rural environment needs to be connected. Systems that provide real-time information without the need for human interaction are a key part of environmental management. We offer solutions for monitoring plantations, biodiversity, access control and public use, etc., through low-cost systems that can be easily managed from the office. Explore with us solutions in sensor technology, remote detection, automatic detection of objects and events in the environment.
R&D&I
We believe in a R&D&I for the sustainable forestry sector that ensures investment, profitability and maintenance of the economy in rural areas.
We offer R&D&I services in:
At Cesefor we develop structural, visual and machine grading tools (mechanical grading), through a process of mechanical characterisation of the product. We apply them to different solid timber species and products: structural timber or lamellas to manufacture technological products such as glued laminated timber or cross-laminated timber, as well as lathing, logs and wooden poles for overhead lines.
We research in the development and improvement of products and processes in the field of timber. We innovate in solid timber for structural or carpentry use, glued laminated timber, cross-laminated timber, KVH, different types of wood panels, glued timber, etc.
Our multidisciplinary team has extensive experience in research, development and innovation in wood as a structural material and in new construction and structural systems. We generate knowledge on the behaviour of timber structures, transferable to the industrial, architectural and engineering sectors through scientific and dissemination publications.
We undertake research into industrial processes that innovate the manufacturing processes of traditional timber products, as well as their performance, but we have also applied innovation to improve existing processes, including our advances in optimising the drying, fingering and gluing of timber.
The constant change to which the territory is being subjected requires actions that minimise the impact on the environment and society. At Cesefor we work on the design of adaptive measures and mitigation of climate effects for the values of our natural environment, through the projection of climate change scenarios and their effects. We also provide support for all those entities that need to calculate their carbon footprint, reduce and compensate their emissions.
The undervaluation of some forest products and the lack of technological adaptation of some processes to exploitation and transformation require specific developments that allow them to be put to good use, providing an opportunity for the development of new value chains and business models in the rural environment.
At Cesefor we monitor parameters and variables that affect different aspects of the management of the natural environment. To do this, direct observations are made using different terrestrial and remote sensors.
The conservation of our environment and its values is one of the principles of modern management, but to achieve this, traditional static models must in some cases be adapted in favour of dynamic models in which new techniques must be applied and management must be adapted as a conservation tool.
We design new concepts of land management and promote pilot projects that favour the grouped management of forest resources to improve the profitability of farms, increase the areas under productive management and favour the continuity of agroforestry farms in rural areas.
Wood Technology Laboratory
We work on the innovation of wood products, for structural use and carpentry, in a testing laboratory that provides services to numerous companies and organizations.
We offer laboratory and testing services in:
If you have an idea in timber and you want to innovate, Cesefor can develop it. To do so, we have a fully equipped prototyping facility that includes everything from a line of glued laminated products to presses, dryers and a whole series of manual tools so that we can materialise your idea.
We have a laboratory specialised in carrying out static tests to determine the mechanical properties of different timber products. We carry out bending, tensile, compression and shear tests.
Cesefor has different equipment that uses non-destructive vibration and acoustic techniques (NDT) to estimate the mechanical properties of timber, or engineered timber products, without the need for breakage. As they are portable equipment, NDTs can be used both in Cesefor's facilities and for on-site measurements in sawmills or factories of engineered timber products.
Cesefor has different equipment that uses non-destructive vibration and acoustic techniques (NDT) to estimate the mechanical properties of timber, or engineered wood products, without the need for breakage. As they are portable equipment, NDTs can be used both in Cesefor's facilities and for on-site measurements in sawmills or factories of engineered timber products.
Training
We know that the modernisation of the sector requires the ongoing training of its professionals. At Cesefor we organise courses and technical seminars to provide technical and practical training, many carried out with our main allies, for numerous productive aspects of the sector.
We provide training courses on:
Networking, Design and Project Management
Comprehensive management of grants and subsidies for European, national and regional projects, mainly specialized in those financed with European Funds. We provide solutions with an experienced and results-oriented vision.
Thanks to the creation of an internal digitization plan, we have developed an Observatory of aid in order to be informed at any time about access to the opportunities offered by the European Union for different types of projects. We are available to offer information on participation in calls for different European programs, such as Interreg, Life, Horizon Europe, Erasmus +, among others.
We are specialists in writing winning projects. We locate the calls for aid, design the actions that best suit the requirements of each program, form consortia, prepare budgets, plan resources and prepare applications for any call for European aid. All this thanks to a multidisciplinary and motivated team, which includes experts in communication, dissemination, evaluation of activities and life cycle.
Thanks to the enormous network of contacts developed over the years and the constant presence in the main European Cooperation Networks dedicated to the environment, we are in a position to select the best partners for any type of application or project, in Spain and internationally.
We monitor actions and activities, advise beneficiaries in the execution of actions, budget planning, communicate with the fund management structures, and even prepare proposals for the reorientation of actions and budgets.
We are experts in advising on the procurement of actions, preparation of expense certifications, advice on European regulations for application and eligibility of expenses, preparation of monitoring and control reports, advice for support in audit processes, etc.
We are convinced that only by working within the main European cooperation networks can we contribute to the development of the policies that matter most to us. For this reason Cesefor is an official member of the EFI: the European Forest Institute; ERIAFF: the Network of European Regions for Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Forestry; from IUFRO: the International Union of Forest Research Organizations; we are an active part of the Collaboration Protocol for Mediterranean Forests managed by FAO (Silva Mediterránea); We are part of the Secretariat of the Mediterranean Network of Model Forests.
Working areas and projects
We structure our actions in seven main lines of action that allow us to address the interests, demands and concerns of our clients and strategic allies.
Pofessional deformation
Financial projects
by FEDER
Forest Portal
by Castilla y León
