- Harvesting Automation & Robotics
Harvesting, automation and robotics research is the realm of the FGR’s ‘Te Mahi Ngahere i te Ao Hurihuri – Forestry Work in the Modern Age’ Primary Growth Partnership between government and the forest industry.
The programme goals are to redesign harvesting, log manufacturing and logistics processes. Our aims are to create value, improve profitability, and enhance sustainability by alleviating current labour shortages, and reducing operational harvesting and logistics costs. We also aim to improve the economic viability of small forests and woodlots, and create new product opportunities for domestic sale and export.
The programme is led by the Forest Value Chain Consortium, a partnership of forest management companies, harvesting and logistics contractors, and New Zealand-based forestry machinery manufacturers and technology partners, all of whom want to invest in and drive the design and manufacture of equipment and technology in the programme.
Forest Growers Research Ltd (FGR) manages the programme on behalf of the industry.
Programme manager: Keith Raymond
- Commercial partners comprise nine forest companies, ten manufacturing partners, and Forest Growers Research
- Programme duration – 2019-2027 (originally a seven-year programme but following a mid-term review has now been extended to nine years) programme
- Total funding over nine years: $27.144 million
- MPI total funding: $11.282 million
- Industry total funding: $15.862 million, sourced from the Forest Growers Levy Trust and commercial partners.
Explore Harvesting Automation & Robotics workstreams:
Harvesting Automation and Robotics News
Hamish Scown wins “Best Young Presenter”award at Low Volume Roads conference
The Low Volume Roads (LVR) 2026 Workshop, hosted by the Road Engineering Association of Asia and Australasia (REAAA), took place on the 20th-21st August 2026,
World-first prototype gives logs a permanent digital identity
MEDIA RELEASE: 20th August 2026 Forest Growers Research (FGR) and Polish technology company Deeplai have successfully demonstrated a world-first system that can give each harvested
HarvestTECH & Wood Transport Logistics 2026 Conference
When & Where: 10-11 November 2026, Rotorua “Smarter Technologies to Improve our Industry” The Conference will combine HarvestTECH and Woodflow logistics across harvesting, log transport,
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