Organizations in all industries have reached a transition point because of the rapid development of digital technology. Digitalization and AI has therefore become the driving force for transformation within today's organizations to remain competitive in the digital era. The forest industry is no exception. However, digital transformation through AI within organizations is synonymous with high complexity and the forestry industry faces unique challenges to overcome because of the industry's traditional approach and the corporate culture that comes with it. This approach creates challenges for technology to be able to take an active and leading role. Problems that can emerge with digital transformation are one of the most important topics that have been researched for a long time. But few studies have examined digital transformation through AI in the forestry industry. Against this background, the purpose of this study is to analyze the barriers that can inhibit AI-Readiness in the forest industry. To answer our research question, we have used a qualitative case study with semi-structured interviews. The semi-structured interviews are based on the framework Technological Frames which intends to examine interpretation about information technologies. The results shows that barriers that can inhibit AI-Readiness exist which can be linked to organizational culture, user experiences and IT-strategies.

Despite the high rate of deforestation and directed critique toward its industrial practices, the Swedish forest industry is declaring itself to be an accelerator of a green transition in the race toward carbon-zero. Seemingly, there is a discrepancy between the general perception of forest management and the actor's presentation. Within our research, we question how sustainability in the industry is reasoned and enacted. Bioeconomy has been identified as an increasingly popular concept within the forestry scene that intends to enable a low-carbon society. Two Swedish cluster organizations working within this context became insightful cases. By applying an inductive and qualitative approach we interviewed 13 experts. Through their accounts, we uncovered the prevailing motives for their sustainability work. Drawing upon previous scholarly contributions in the discourse around a green economy, we learned that the dichotomy of industrialism and sustainability is abandoned in the forest industry's perception. The applied practices are deeply rooted in green growth and weak sustainability rationales. Thereby, the industry is contributing to the economization of forests. The alignment of sustainability and growth endeavors results in the paradoxical justification that only harvesting can lead to a low-carbon and fossil-free economy. We encourage future research to continue raising awareness about the problematic dynamics arising from weak sustainability approaches and work together with the industry toward more transformative trajectories.

Bakgrund: I dagens rådande klimat- och artkris ökar förväntningarna på skogsindustrins hållbarhetsarbete och därmed även kvaliteten på dess hållbarhetsredovisningar. Ingen information som kan tänkas påverka intressenternas beslut får uteslutas och inte heller bestå av endast selektiv vald information som bara speglar gynnsamma aspekter av företaget. Tidigare studier har påvisat brister inom skogsindustrin och andra branschers hållbarhetsredovisningar, bland annat kring hur företagen redogör för negativ information. Informationen förskönas, mörkas och vinklas med hjälp av olika legitimeringsstrategier, detta för att påverka intressenternas uppfattning om företaget. Studien utgår från legitimitetsteorin och företagens användande av olika legitimeringsstrategier. Den bidrar till ökad förståelse och kunskap kring hur dessa strategier används av svenska skogsbolag. Syfte & Problemformulering: Uppsatsens syfte är att beskriva hur skogsbolagens negativa påverkan betonas i hållbarhetsredovisningen och därmed få en djupare förståelse över hur informationen framhålls. Frågan som undersöks är hur redogörs negativ information i svenska skogsbolags hållbarhetsredovisningar? Metod: Studien bygger på en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av svenska skogsbolags års- och hållbarhetsredovisningar. Utifrån dessa redovisningar identifierades den negativa informationen som sedan klassificerades in efter olika legitimeringsstrategier och därefter analyserades på en djupare nivå. Slutsats: Studien påvisar att skogsbolag använder legitimeringsstrategier när de redogör för sin negativa information. De tre vanligaste strategierna är angivande av fakta, rationalisering och korrigerande åtgärder. Vid vissa tillfällen får intressenterna en mer detaljerad bild av problemet men i de flesta fall är informationen försumbar och det saknas ingående förklaringar. Korrigerande åtgärder är den vanligaste strategin eftersom det oftast uppdagas någon form av åtgärd kopplad till den negativa informationen. Genom att företagen påvisar dessa bristerförsämras hållbarhetsredovisningens kvalitet. De försöker på ett missvisande sätt försköna sin verksamhet genom olika legitimeringsstrategier vilket är något som intressenterna behöver ha kunskap om för att kunna ta ställning kring verksamhetens påverkan. / Background: In today's current climate and species crisis, expectations of the forest industry's sustainability work and thus also the quality of its sustainability reports increase. No information that may affect the decisions of the stakeholders may be excluded, nor may it consist only of selectively selected information that only reflects favorable aspects of the company. Previous studies have shown shortcomings in the forest industry and other industries' sustainability reports, including how companies report the negative information. The information is refined, darkened and angled with the help of various identification strategies, in order to influence the stakeholders' perception of the company. This study is based upon the theory of legitimacy and the corporations´ usage of different legitimation strategies. It contributes to increased understanding and knowledge of how these strategies are used by Swedish forest companies. Purpose & Research question: The purpose of the thesis is to describe how the forest companies’ negative impact is emphasized in the annual and sustainability report and thereby a deeper understanding of how the information is emphasized. The question that is investigated is how is negative information reported in Swedish forest companies' sustainability reports? Method: The study is based on a qualitative content analysis of Swedish forest companies annual and sustainability reports. Based on these reports, the negative information was identified, which then classified according to different identification strategies and then analyzed at a deeper level. Conclusion: The study shows that forest companies use legitimation strategies when they report their negative information. The three most common strategies are indicating facts, rationalization, and corrective action. At certain times, the stakeholder gets a more detailed picture of the problem, but in most cases the information is negligible and there are no detailed explanations. Corrective action is the most common strategy because some form of action link to the negative information is most often detected. As companies demonstrate these shortcomings the quality of sustainability reporting deteriorates. They try in a misleading way to refine their operations through different legitimation strategies, which is something that the stakeholders need to have knowledge of in order to be able to take a position on the impact of the operations.

Målet med den här studien är att förhindra effektivitetssänkningar i moderna biologiska reningsanläggningar för skogsindustriella avloppsvatten. Biologiska processer är vanligtvis effektiva när det gäller att reducera lättnedbrytbart organiskt material. Eftersom den utgörs av levande mikroorganismer (MO) är tekniken känslig. Toxiska ämnen kan döda en kultur av MO. Innan de har ökat i antal igen kommer reduktionseffektiviteten att vara påverkad för en ansenlig tid framöver. I ett pappers- och massabruk finns många typer av vätskor som oavsiktligt kan hamna i reningsanläggningen. I den här studien har svartluts inverkan på reduktionsgraden studerats. Biologiska reningsverk har använts under en lång tid. De har utvecklats från att vara generella reningsverk till att bli konceptanläggningar i flera steg, där varje steg har designats för sitt eget syfte med specifika MO. I det här arbetet har ett MultiBio-koncept vid Gruvön Bruk studerats. En anläggning i laboratorieskala har byggts för svartlutsförsöken. Resultatet har jämförts mot simulerade värden och värden från bruket. När ett spill av svartlut passerar genom en MultiBio späds det ut mellan varje steg. Halten av svartlut är hög i de första stegen vilka påverkas kraftigt. I de första stegen lever snabbväxande organismer som återhämtar sig på ett par dagar. De mer känsliga aktivslamstegen finns längre bak i reningsverket och är skyddade från toxiska koncentrationer av svartlut. Endast vid försök med 24-timmarstillsatser blev koncentrationen av svartlut så hög att den påverkade MO negativt. Den biologiska processen i ett reningsverk kan störas om MO förnekas något essentiellt behov. En biologisk process har ett flertal behov, bland annat behöver aeroba MO löst syre. Eftersom syresättning av vattnet är energikrävande och kostsamt är det inte problemfritt att skapa en omgivning som ger hög effektivitet samtidigt som man strävar efter att sänka energiförbrukningen. I avhandlingen beskrivs ett tillvägagångssätt för att studera energieffektiv syresättning. / The aim of this study is to prevent efficiency reduction in modern wastewater treatment plants for forest industry effluents. Biological processes are usually efficient in reducing biodegradable organic material. Since the technique depends on living microorganisms (MO) it is sensitive. Toxic substances can kill the population. It takes considerable time for the MOs to grow in number and the treatment efficiency will be affected accordingly. In a pulp and paper mill, a number of liquors are handled that can reach the treatment plant by accident. In this study the impact of black liquor spills on treatment efficiency has been studied. Biological treatment methods have been used for a long time. They have developed from general treatment plants to multiple stage concepts, where each stage is designed for its own purpose with specific MO cultures. In this thesis, a plant with the MultiBio concept, located at Gruvön Mill in Sweden has been studied. A laboratory scale MultiBio plant has been constructed for the trials in which efficiency during black liquor exposure has been measured. The measured laboratory results were evaluated by comparing them with simulated values and a mill case. When a shock of toxic black liquor passing through a MultiBio concept, the black liquor is diluted between the compartments. The first compartments that are exposed to high concentrations of black liquor are affected negatively. The MOs in the first compartment are fast growing and recover in a few days. The more sensitive activated sludge compartments are located further on in the plant. A toxic concentration is found in the activated sludge compartments only when the duration of the spill is 24 hours or more. Denying the MOs their needs can disturb biological treatments. Among many things, a biological process needs dissolved oxygen. Since aeration is energy consuming and expensive, there is a conflict between gaining high efficiency and, at the same time, decreasing the energy consumption. In this study, an approach to saving energy for aeration is initiated.

The timberlands in the South provide a large resource base for forest-based industry. This resource base is utilized to provide major contributions to the southern economy. Aruna et al. (1997) examined southern forest-based industry economic contributions from the early 1990?s. This study examined the change in economic contributions primarily using 2001 data. In 1992, southern forest-based industries provided 633,367 (full- and part-time) jobs and this increased to 718,176 in 2001, accounting for only 1.3% of the total employment in the South versus 1.5%. Forest-based earnings in the South experienced a real increase of $181 million (1990 dollars) from 1990 to 1998 and accounted for 1.7% of total southern U.S. earnings in both years. The value of shipments attributed to southern forest-based industries increased $22.8 billion in real 1991 dollars which translated into a real increase of $11.0 billion (1991 dollars) in valueded between 1991 and 2001. In 2001, value of shipments increased to 9.6% of the South?s total from 7.8% in 1991 and valueded increased from 8.0% in 1991 to 9.1% in 2001. Although there were increases in the economic contributions of southern forest-based industries, overall there was little in the way of relative change over this time period.

Sustainable development reflects an emphasis on integrated solutions to economic development, socio-political stability and environmental health in the global community. In the same context the concept of security is no longer applied only to the military realm, but also to the economic, the societal, the environmental, and the political fields. The forestry sector provides a good illustration of the links between sustainable development and security in both its narrow (military security) and its broad (non-military security) sense. The forests have a substantial impact on the Earth¿s climate, the loss of forests is devastating to biodiversity and timber sales have been used to fund both state and non-state combatants in a variety of civil conflicts. Timber certification has been put forward as a viable alternative to existing regulations and practices and as one capable of contributing to the mitigation of both climate change and conflict. This paper outlines the evolution of timber certification initiatives. The identities and roles of different stakeholders are discussed, followed by an evaluation of certified forest areas and the implications of forest management for post-war economies. Finally, the role of timber certification and its possible impact on peaceful and sustainable development are discussed

Stora Enso is today one of the four largest companies in the swedish forest industry. The company's business is spread all over the world, but it’s headquarters are located in Sweden and Finland. Stora Enso Skog is part of the company's global organization for wood supply to Swedish sawmills, paper mills and pulp mills. As all companies, regardless of industry, are part of a supply chain, an impact on and by other performers in the chain occurs. It is this influence that determines the prerequisites and starting points for effective processes and flows. The supply chain between forests and industry, on the other hand, is complex as tree as a raw material source are generally difficult to specify. The purpose of this case study is, therefore, to map the supply chain of the pinetree-timber at the “Dalälven” area from forest harvesting to measurement and sorted stock at the sawmill. Based on this objective, a delimitation has been made in such a way that the case study is performed only after pinetree-timber as a product. By dividing this pinetree-timber process into three parts; the harvesting process, the transport process and the measurement process an observation and semi-structured interviews was made with closely related staff as well as the transport partner Westan Logistik. The answers from interviews constituted an empirical comparison that was then compared to reviewed secondary data in the form of different literary theories. The results are visualized through a process flowchart, a information flowchart, a value-flow analysis, and a leadtime analysis, which have shown, among other things, that the value-creating activities (V) are less compared to non-value-creating activities (I) and the necessary non-value creation activities (N) in the pine-tree timber process. Even the leadtime proportion is greatest in the non-value-creating activities. The results provided the basis for an analysis and, last but not least, conclusions could be drawn. Because the raw material is complex, and the pinetree-timber process contains many performers, it can be a challenge to get a smooth and efficient flow through the supply chain. Interviews and theories have shown that the physical as well as the informative flow has difficulties which, for instance, slow down the process more than necessary. It is therefore interesting to see through a mapping how these can be improved and have a higher level of efficiency.

Orientadores: Ennio Peres da Silva, Rubem Cesar Rodrigues souza / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Mecanica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T12:01:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Santos_EydeCristianneSaraivados_D.pdf: 2374535 bytes, checksum: ec17075c4bc741bc42c2ef1cb4739fda (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O desenvolvimento da região amazônica se apresenta como um desafio histórico de difícil superação, em que pese as grandes riquezas que encerra. Na perspectiva de desenvolvimento regional, o setor energético assume papel de extrema relevância, face ao seu potencial para impulsionar a produção de riquezas e a melhoria das condições de vida. Nesse sentido, o desafio que se apresenta é a exploração dos recursos naturais sem a degradação das condições ambientais para esta e para as próximas gerações. Assim, a pesquisa desenvolvida buscou discutir as oportunidades para utilização racional da biomassa lenhosa na região amazônica para fins energéticos. Apesar da dimensão continental da região e da grande diversidade de setores passíveis de utilização de biomassa, a discussão se restringiu a três de grande importância econômica para o Estado do Amazonas, a saber: madeireiro, oleiro e elétrico. A pesquisa consistiu na obtenção de dados junto a empresas e instituições, além de análises laboratoriais e tratamento dos dados técnicos, econômicos, ambientais e sociais. No setor madeireiro, foi verificada a possibilidade do aproveitamento dos resíduos lenhosos para produção de energia elétrica, por parte dos empresários. No setor oleiro, foi estudada a introdução de espécies de rápido crescimento para produção de lenha, em substituição à mata nativa. Considerando a produção de energia elétrica através de biomassa, foi avaliada a competitividade da geração independente desta energia frente à tarifa praticada pela concessionária. Nesse sentido, foi considerada a possibilidade da obtenção de subvenções através da sub-rogação da conta de consumo de combustíveis fósseis, bem como a captação de recursos financeiros via comercialização de créditos de carbono. De um modo geral, concluiu-se pela viabilidade da utilização de biomassa lenhosa na Amazônia, no contexto considerado nesse trabalho. Buscando contribuir para tornar factível tal opção energética, são apresentadas propostas de diretrizes para um uso apropriado nos setores estudados / Abstract: The development of the Amazon region is a historical challenge with difficult overcoming, even knowing its great wealth. The energy supply takes over extreme relevance to provide regional development considering the potential of energy to estimulate wealth production and the improvement in the quality of life. The challenge is how to use the natural resources without causing much environment degradation, for this generation and the next ones. The present research was developed searching the opportunities to rational uses of wood biomass in the Amazon region for renewable energy supply. This study was restricted to lumber and potters industries because of the continental dimension of the Amazon State and the great number of factories which could use biomass as alternative energy source. Studies for the adequate use of wood biomass in threesegments of economic importance in the Amazon State had been developed: lumber, potter and electric. The research consisted of obtaining companies and institutions data, laboratory analyses and managing technician, economic, environment and social data. In the lumber industry it was verified the possibility of using its residues to produce electric power. In the potter industry it was studied the introduction of fast growing trees for firewood production substituting native firewood. The evaluation of independent power generation competitiveness had been done considering the concessionaire price. The possibility of obtaining subvention through the subrogation of the CCC was considered and also the financial resources from carbon credits. Generally the conclusion was for theviability of using wood biomass to generate power in the Amazon region, concerning the context of this work. In order to contribute to become feasible such energy option, proposals of an appropriate use in the studied economic sectors are presented / Doutorado / Energia, Sociedade e Meio Ambiente / Doutor em Planejamento de Sistemas Energéticos

Vid skogsavverkning tas en del av de näringsämnen som trädet använt under sin tillväxttid bort från marken och förs inte tillbaka. Detta kan leda till näringsfattigare mark och lägre pH vilket leder till sämre tillväxt för träden. Skogsstyrelsen rekommenderar olika åtgärder för att motverka detta och en av åtgärderna är återföring av aska till skogen. Det finns vissa riktlinjer för vad koncentrationen av grundämnen bör vara för att detta ska anses positivt för skogen. Det har bedrivits forskning sedan 2018 för att återföra slam och aska från pappersbruk till skogen genom att föra in det i plantor som ska utsättas i skogen. Detta i form av härdade produkter som pellets eller pulver.   Fokus i denna studie är att undersöka olika askor, slam och härdade produkter som biokol för att jämföra med riktvärdena för askåterföring som Skogsstyrelsen har bestämt. Därutöver benämns några skadliga ämnen som kan ha förekommit i för höga koncentrationer. Prover förbereds genom torkning och malning av hydrokol, pyrokol, torvmark, pyrolyserad träflis, bioaska, blandslam och bioslam. Dessa pulveriserade prover analyseras sedan i en XRF-analys för att få ut koncentrationer av olika grundämnen för provernas torrsubstans.  Slam från pappersbruk visade sig innehålla lägre koncentrationer av de makronäringsämnen och spårämnen än askan, och ur näringssynpunkt vore ren askåterföring bättre. Men med ren askåterföring råder en större risk att få en högre koncentration av giftiga ämnen som vanadin och nickel vilket förekom i högre grad i askan. Andra höga halter av spårämnen var krom i ett hydrokolprov och kobolt och svavel vilket uppkom i askproverna. En blandning av aska med en andel slam bör skapa bra förutsättningar för ökad näring med liten risk för skadliga grundämnen. Denna rapport kom fram till att en blandning av ca 55 % slam och 45 % aska bör vara lämpligt för att undvika förgiftning av nickel och vanadin och samtidigt innehålla de nödvändiga näringsämnena. Genom att processa slam från pappersindustrin har det gjorts biokol prover som denna studie fått ta del av. Det visade sig att biokolet från Heinola, Finland visar på bra resultat som ger ökad tillväxt genom sitt höga fosforvärde. Att använda samma process som Heinola proverna för tilltänkta biokol bör vara att föredra / During deforestation, some of the nutrients used by the trees during the growth period are removed from the soil and not returned. This can lead to poorer content of nutrients in the soil and lower Ph, which leads to poorer growth for the trees.   The Swedish Forest Agency recommends various measures to counteract this and one of the measures is ash recycling, which there are certain guidelines for, what the concentration of elements should be for this to be considered positive for the forest.   A research project has been conducted since 2018 to return sludge and ash from paper mills to the forest by introducing it into plants to be planted in the forest. This in the form of hardened products such as pellets or powders.  This report mainly focuses on checking different ashes, sludge and hardened products such as biochar to compare with the guideline values for ash recycling that the Swedish Forest Agency has set.   In addition, this report highlights some harmful substances that may have been present in too high concentrations.  This is done by drying and grinding samples from hydrochar, pyrochar, peat soil, pyrolyzed wood chips, bioashes, mixed sludge and biosludge. These powdered samples are then run in an XRF analysis to obtain concentrations of different elements for the samples for a maximum dry content.  The sludge was found to contain lower concentrations of the useful and dangerous substances than the ashes, and from a nutritional point of view, pure ash recycling would be better. But with pure ash recycling, there is a greater risk of getting a higher concentration of toxic substances such as vanadium and nickel.  The results show hazardous elements such as nickel, chromium, cobalt, sulfur and vanadium measured in excessive doses. These occur mainly in the ash samples. A mixture of ash with a proportion of sludge should create good conditions for increased nutrition with little risk of harmful elements. As a suggestion, this report shows that a mixture of about 55% sludge and 45% ash should be suitable to avoid poisoning of especially nickel and vanadium. It turned out that the biochar from Heinola, Finland shows good results that increase growth through its high phosphorus value. Using the same process as the Heinola samples for proposed biochar should be preferred.

Syftet var att undersöka vilka yrken aktiva studenter på Skogskandidatprogrammet tänker sig efter examen, jämföra deras tilltänkta yrkesval med alumnernas nuvarande yrke samt de tjänster som finns tillgängliga hos presumtiva arbetsgivare. Syftet var även att undersöka hur kön, ålder och arbetslivserfarenhet påverkar tilltänkt yrkesval hos aktiva studenter. För datainsamlingen gjordes en enkätundersökning bland aktiva studenter och alumner från Skogskandidatprogrammet. Även en kompletterande datainsamling gjordes om befintliga tjänster hos presumtiva arbetsgivare. De yrken som aktiva studenter främst vill ha efter examen är skogsförvaltare, skogskonsulent och produktionsledare. Aktiva studenters yrkespreferenser jämfört med alumnernas yrken idag överensstämmer, medan det skiljer sig från hur många sådana tjänster det finns hos presumtiva arbetsgivare. Kvinnor och män har till största del liknande yrkespreferenser. Äldre studenter med lång arbetslivserfarenhet föredrar yrken som skogsförvaltare och skogskonsulent medan yngre med kort arbetslivserfarenhet föredrar produktionsledare.