Announcing the 2026 FGR Harvesting Micro Innovation Challenge Winner
Across the forestry sector, crews are managing environmental compliance, field observations, mapping, and operational data in remote locations – often using tools that were never
The overarching strategic framework for R&D investment is provided in the Science and Innovation Strategy 2020–2035. This identifies three core themes for Forestry science and innovation with the target level of investment from the forest growers’ levy:
The current research portfolio covers the key parts of the forestry value chain, from tree improvement, propagation and nurseries, to establishment, management, harvesting, transport and logistics, and managing for risk and uncertainty.
Achieving both the forest growers’ vision and the supporting science and innovation vision requires :
Our science and innovation investment framework is described under three highly interconnected themes:
Ensuring that we increase profitability from our current main commercial species – radiata pine and Douglas-fir.
Ensuring the long-term sustainability of commercial forestry through realising value from emerging species (both exotic and indigenous) and developing new models for forestry.
Future-proofing commercial forest growing in New Zealand.
Science and Innovation are crucial if forestry is to deliver on the Forestry Roadmap and position forests as our most strategic asset by 2050.
The Forestry Roadmap 2020-2050
The forest growers vision for 2050 is that : “Forestry will be New Zealand’s number one primary sector and will exemplify the best plantation forest management in the world”.
Across the forestry sector, crews are managing environmental compliance, field observations, mapping, and operational data in remote locations – often using tools that were never
Forest Growers Research (FGR), NZFOA and the Forest Growers Levy Trust (FGLT) participated in this year’s Fieldays Forestry Hub, joining more than 40 forestry and
Mitch White from Aspect Forestry shares the innovation journey behind tackling steep-slope planting in the Top of the South using the Risutec planting machine. Mechanised