TEKES: Open call

SOFIA project proposal (2010)
(Seamless Operation of Forest Industry Applications)

The key objective of the project is to build an ICT solution for logistics optimization on the contractor site (for harvesting and transportation SME’s). The practical expected outcome of the project will be a SOFIA software platform for B2B mediation tailored to the forestry sector of Finland.

The main purpose of SOFIA platform is to improve contractor's order management by integrating heterogeneous order base from different order makers. The platform will serve as an integrator of information systems provided from different wood buyers and forest owner associations. The orders coming from different systems will be gathered to one integrated view allowing the contractor to apply logistics optimization tool and decrease useless overheads in operation. SOFIA platform design will not change existing systems of customers, but rather plug to them, and will contribute to the development of the flexible forestry service market.

The business potential of the platform is estimated by the preceding simulation research activities that account for 50 million Euro annual savings in Finland only if there was an ICT solution for contractors’ logistics optimization. SOFIA will be developed as an open platform allowing free competition on the IT-market.

SOFIA will build a strong national level network of forestry companies and organizations in order to get support and promote the new vision of flexible contracting for SMEs. Preliminarily we have discussed and received positive feedback from: organizations - Koneyrittäjät ry, Metsäalan kuljetusyrittäjät ry; forest industry companies and universities – Metla, Joensuun yliopisto, VTT, Metsäkeskus Tapio, Metsäteollisuus ry, Energiateollisuus ry. On the international level we plan to organize knowledge exchange with: Skogforsk, Sweden; University of Freiburg, Germany (visits can be planned, related to the standardization activities).

We are also considering some form of cooperation with “Indisputable Key” EU FP6 project (VTT, TietoEnator, HUT, TKK involved there from Finnish side). From the ICT -suppliers we plan to contact “Silvadata” and “Fifth Element” whereas “Protacon” company is already aware of the SOFIA project proposal.

Estimated budget: ~ 600 kEuro

Contact person(s): Sergiy Nikitin, Puh. 0445820503, e-mail: sergiy.nikitin@jyu.fi, (in English and Finnish), Prof. Vagan Terziyan, vagan.terziyan@jyu.fi, (in English).

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