Blom Increases Finnish Remote Sensing-based Forest Project

Tornator, the third-largest forest owner in Finland, and Blom Kartta, Blom’s Finnish subsidiary, have signed an agreement for an extensive co-operation for remote sensing-based forest inventory. The project will cover about 200,000 hectares of forest owned by Tornator in various parts of Finland. The agreement will run until 2016. The project includes aerial photography, laser scanning and forest inventory analysis.

Over the past few years, Blom Kartta has undertaken various inventory projects for Tornator. Accurate forest inventory information adds significant benefits to their business. This agreement will ensure that all the relevant forest parcels are covered with high quality and consistent inventory information, Tornator's managing director Arto J. Huurinainen commented.

Tornator already takes advantage of a wide range of spatial data in their daily business operations. Point clouds based on laser scanning are used for the production of various types of surface models, and ortho imagery is the core material of the ERP system to support operational planning.

Forestry analysis is based on Blom’s vast experience within remote sensing based forest inventory production. Blom has provided laser scanning for forest inventories in Finland as well as abroad for almost ten years.

Blom Kartta managing director Mikko Salonen said his company strives for close and long-term relationships with their clients. Blom aims to deliver forest inventory information to Tornator in the most cost-efficient manner. The agreement also empowers development of new methods to produce additional value-added remote sensing data to Tornator’s operations, he said.