Foresting Tomorrow

In this on-the-road episode, we head to the forests of southern Sweden for Elmia Wood—one of Europe’s largest forestry fairs—celebrating its 50th anniversary with a spotlight on AI and innovation.

We explore what happens when forest data moves beyond documentation—and starts driving strategy, investment, and impact. On stage with us is the team from Aeon Group: CEO Bolette Pedersen and Investment Specialist Mads Esbensen, who share how forest data is becoming the backbone of land-use change, reforestation, and natural capital investments.

We dig into how forest owners can future-proof their operations with better data, why investors are suddenly eyeing trees, and how everything from carbon credits to groundwater protection is creating new revenue streams for those who are ready. From the "little red book" to laser scans, it’s a deep dive into how tech, finance, and ecology are converging in the woods.

Whether you’re into yield tables, traceability, or blockchain-based biodiversity credits—this episode is for you.

Foresting Tomorrow is a weekly podcast hosted by Jens Isbak, Rasmus Pedersen, and Benjamin Lauridsen.

In this on-the-road episode, we leave the studio behind and head north to Naturmødet—Denmark’s biggest festival for nature, politics, and public dialogue.

From muddy boots to sharp debates, we bring you conversations straight from the festival. You'll hear from nature advocate Alexander Holm, biodiversity professor Signe Normand, Danish Animal Ethics Council chair Bengt Holst, Client & Innovation head Rasmus Willumsen, and nature practitioner Anton Johnsen.

We discuss everything from biodiversity collapse and marine destruction to coexisting with wolves, building with timber, and the rising demand for traceability in forestry. You’ll also hear how hollow trees support ecosystems, why harassment is undermining conservation, and what Denmark’s nature dialogue can teach the world.

It’s thoughtful, it’s candid—and yes, there’s free beer somewhere in the mix.

Foresting Tomorrow is a weekly podcast hosted by Jens Isbak, Rasmus Pedersen, and Benjamin Lauridsen.

In this special episode, we sit down with Louise Frederikke Kofoed-Dam and Kristoffer Sparre from EcoTree—a company on a mission to make forestry accessible, investable, and nature-positive.

They take us behind the scenes of their European projects, from restoring gravel pits in Denmark to reforesting fire-damaged land in France. We explore how they blend selective harvesting with biodiversity goals, why they guarantee forest protection for 100 years, and how they’ve built a carbon credit system certified by Bureau Veritas.

We also unpack the impact of EU regulations like CSRD and EUDR, the challenges of acquiring land across different countries, and how EcoTree’s long-term model could reshape the way companies engage with nature restoration.

From spreadsheets and soil samples to nesting boxes and oak trees that live for 199 years—this episode has it all.

Foresting Tomorrow is a weekly podcast hosted by Jens Isbak, Rasmus Pedersen, and Benjamin Lauridsen.

In this episode, we start with a breakthrough in wood-based materials: a new “super wood” that’s stronger than steel and ready for production. Made from compressed wood fibres, it promises to replace tropical hardwoods and even compete with concrete and steel in buildings—without cutting down endangered forests.

From there, we head into Canada’s remote forests, where self-driving timber trucks have just passed their first field trials. Using a leader-follower approach, these autonomous trucks could help solve labour shortages while safely navigating harsh terrain.

And finally, we zoom in on the EU’s upcoming deforestation rules, as new reports suggest only four countries—Belarus, Russia, Myanmar, and North Korea—will be labelled as “high risk.” But why are countries like Brazil and Indonesia not on the list?

A packed episode covering engineered wood, automated hauling, and environmental regulation.

Foresting Tomorrow is a weekly podcast hosted by Jens Isbak, Rasmus Pedersen, and Benjamin Lauridsen.

In this episode, we kick things off with a jaw-dropping feat of timber engineering: Sweden is building a 400-meter wooden suspension bridge—its longest yet—proving once again that wood can do more than hold up a bookshelf.

From there, we fly into Canada, where indigenous-led organisations and AI-powered drone swarms are teaming up to fight wildfires in remote and dangerous areas. These heavy-lift drones scoop water from nearby lakes and drop it with surgical precision—even at night.

And finally, we drop into virtual reality—literally. In Australia, students are stepping into the forest through VR headsets, getting a 360-degree taste of forest management and timber harvesting, all before they’ve even chosen a career path.

A packed episode covering bridges, bots, and budding foresters.

Foresting Tomorrow is a weekly podcast hosted by Jens Isbak, Rasmus Pedersen, and Benjamin Lauridsen.

In this episode, we open with a papal plot twist: Pope Francis chose an untreated cypress coffin, crafted in secret by Vatican carpenters, as his final act of simplicity and stewardship. A symbolic gesture—or a quiet call to action on forest values?

From there, we launch into orbit to unpack the European Space Agency’s new “space brolly”—a 12-metre radar satellite designed to scan 1.5 trillion trees and weigh the world’s forests in 3D.

Back on Earth, we explore what this kind of satellite tech could mean for certification, deforestation monitoring, and carbon markets—and ask the hard question: will any of it reach forest managers in the real world?

Foresting Tomorrow is a weekly podcast hosted by Jens Isbak, Rasmus Pedersen, and Benjamin Lauridsen.

In this episode, we kick off with a handcrafted bike made of nine tree species and Kevlar—because why not ride wood through mountain passes? From there, we launch into orbit to explore how NASA is using laser tech from the International Space Station to map forest health and canopy height.

We then drop back to Earth and dive into a troubling report on how illegal Amazon timber is still flooding markets in the EU and US—just as EUDR enforcement looms.

And finally, we look at how Finnish robotics and AI are reshaping seedling production in New Zealand’s commercial forestry—because cloning elite trees now comes with machine vision.

A packed episode covering craft, crime, canopy, and cloning.

Foresting Tomorrow is a weekly podcast hosted by Jens Isbak, Rasmus Pedersen, and Benjamin Lauridsen.

Foresting Tomorrow is a weekly podcast hosted by Jens Isbak, Rasmus Pedersen, and Benjamin Lauridsen. In episode #26, we discuss a mix of climate data, international forestry trends, and digital monitoring innovations.

We kick off with the surprising news that renewables just outpaced fossil fuels in U.S. electricity generation for the first time - what does that mean for forestry and the green transition?

Benjamin brings a follow-up on Finland’s forests becoming carbon emitters. He breaks down the EU’s LULUCF regulation, and we explore why short-term targets might be at odds with long-term forest planning.

Next, we dive into China’s colossal reforestation efforts. With over 4 million hectares planted in a single year, we ask: what can democracies realistically learn from such top-down action?

Finally, we explore a Lithuanian project using AI and sound analysis to monitor forests in real time. Is this the future - or just another academic exercise chasing funding?

As always, we round things off with a reflection on how tech, policy, and forest wisdom can (and can’t) work together.

Foresting Tomorrow is a weekly podcast hosted by Jens Isbak, Rasmus Pedersen, and Benjamin Lauridsen.

In episode #25, a Starlink sighting sparks a wide-ranging discussion - from satellites in the sky to sustainability on the ground.

We explore how rising temperatures - despite La Niña - are accelerating stress on forests, revisit Denmark’s 2018 drought, and debate the role of mixed-species planting in building resilience. We also cover Australia’s push to align forest certification with EU deforestation rules, and why traceability now demands digital tools.

Finally, we reflect on new data from Finland, where forests are now emitting more CO2 than they absorb. What does that mean for sustainable forestry? And how can we monitor and manage hidden emission risks like peatland decomposition?

A slightly chaotic episode - blending satellites, climate data, and forest management with a dash of dry humour and rain dances.

Foresting Tomorrow is a weekly podcast hosted by Jens Isbak, Rasmus Pedersen, and Benjamin Lauridsen.

In episode #24, we’re joined by Stefano Puliti, Research Scientist at NIBIO - the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomic Research. Stefano shares his journey from Tuscany to the Nordic forestry scene and his work at the forefront of remote sensing and AI in forest management.

We dive into the SingleTree project, which aims to develop new digital value chains at the individual tree level, enabling more precise forest management through airborne laser scanning and deep learning. Stefano explains how this approach can enhance biodiversity monitoring, wood quality assessment, and future forest resilience.

We also discuss the challenges of scaling advanced data collection, how open datasets are accelerating global research, and why real-world implementation - not just scientific theory - is the next big leap in forestry innovation.