The FORWARDS consortium gathered in Vienna from February 17 to 21, 2025, for its highly anticipated annual meeting, hosted by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU). The event was key to advancing the FORWARDS project, a collaborative initiative driving innovation in forest management and climate resilience across Europe.

Over the course of the week, the consortium made significant strides in shaping the ForestWard Observatory, a central component of the project. The Observatory will play a vital role in supporting sustainable forest management through enhanced monitoring and data integration, contributing to climate-smart forestry practices across Europe.

The meeting featured a series of productive workshops, discussions, and collaborative sessions, including updates from the different work packages (WPs) and key technical advancements. Participants engaged in a detailed exploration of forest disturbances, remote sensing data integration, and the development of robust, user-friendly tools for monitoring forest health and climate impact.

A key highlight was the work done to integrate findings from multiple projects and refine the ForestWard Observatory’s design, ensuring that it will be a comprehensive, long-lasting tool for forest decision-making. The consortium also discussed strategies for enhancing citizen engagement and knowledge sharing, as well as the integration of data from third-party projects such as MONIMED, CEURDIST, and OAKS.

This annual meeting was instrumental in fostering stronger collaboration among FORWARDS partners and setting the stage for future activities that will support Europe’s forest ecosystems in adapting to climate change. The work accomplished this week will contribute to ensuring the long-term health and resilience of forests across the continent.