At three control points, the Slovak Forest Service (Lesy SR) is currently testing a pilot operation of an innovative system for recording and monitoring the export of timber. It is based on RFID technology and data integration.
The new system aims to ensure a transparent, efficient, and publicly verifiable flow of information about the movement of raw timber — directly linked to the Open Timber platform.
Boris Gregor, head of the Department of Information and Communication Technologies at Lesy SR, explained at a press meeting on Wednesday (July 23) that the goal of the project is not only to collect photographic documentation but especially to match this data with records in the system.
For each timber shipment, the certificate of origin is equipped with an RFID consignment label containing data that refers to a specific number of the origin certificate within the company’s internal systems.
As a vehicle passes through a checkpoint, the system reads this information, compares it with internal data on the vehicle, the origin, volume, and destination, and automatically alerts responsible staff in the event of any discrepancies.
"We are trying to do this with the least possible burden on those who work with wood. That means even for foresters, the work in the forest remains unchanged," noted Gregor, adding that the only difference is that the consignment note contains an RFID code enabling data matching. Based on this, they can evaluate whether the passage was in order or whether there were any suspicious circumstances.
The state enterprise is currently implementing the pilot project at three checkpoints — in the Vydrovo and Brôtovo valleys and at the Žarnovica dispatch warehouse.
These locations, equipped with RFID readers and camera systems, ensure comprehensive monitoring of vehicle passages. They create a movement database and retain visual recordings for a set period as a basis for verifying passage data. Thanks to integration with the Open Timber platform, the data is instantly synchronized.
According to Tibor Menyhart, General Director of Lesy SR, the ambition is to expand the system to other operations in the future. "The intention is that all wood we harvest in the future will pass through this electronic monitoring system," he remarked. Lesy SR considers it a real and effective solution.
"Our goal is for the wood to be monitored online from the forest to the customer — not just a paper-based administrative check, but for the movement of timber to be truly recorded in information systems, either ours or with parts transferred to Otvorenedrevo.sk," the director added.
Source: STVR
