Special Session 7

Timber and lignocellulosic biomass play a major role in the transition to energy and industrial sectors based on renewable resources. The use of solid biofuels for energy production (bioenergy) is already technologically mature, providing a crucial contribution in several sectors. Additionally, lignin and cellulose, the main bio-resources available worldwide, feature a relevant potential to substitute fossil-based organic compounds. These bioresources are generally produced as by-products of the agro-forestry management activities and contribute to enhance the sustainability of the main, crucial functions of these systems, such as food production and environmental protection. The technological progress achieved in the timber industry discloses a plethora of opportunities to deploy this raw material in several manufacturing sectors besides the traditional building one.

As a result, there is an urge to further improve the standards of biomaterials and maximize their economic and environmental sustainability. This boosts the development and application of innovative solutions to measure the qualitative and quantitative properties of raw materials, as well as to control the processes along the relative supply and value chains.
The session provides an overview of the current methodologies and technical advancements in measuring technologies in these sectors.

We welcome contributions on the following aspects:

• Characterisation of wood materials, biomass feedstocks and bioproducts;
• Innovative tools for measuring timber and biomass quality in the energy and industrial sectors;
• ICT solutions applied in bioenergy supply chains, including traceability systems: Precision bioenergy;
• ICT technologies applied for Precision Forestry and Wood Processing, including proximal sensing, traceability systems and timber quality sensors;
• Development of predictive models for bioenergy and biorefinery processes;
• Technologies for control and monitoring of biofuels production processes and output quality.

Giuseppe Toscano, is an Associate professor (07/C1 - Agricultural, forestry and biosystems engineering - AGR/09 Agricultural Mechanics). He's been working in the agri-forestry sector and the main research concerns bioenergy application, biomass supply chains, Life Cycle Analysis and biofuel quality. Recently he is working on ICT applied to biomass supply chains for industry and power plants. Author of more than 70 papers published in international peer-reviewed journals and editorial board member of Process (MDPI).

Dr. Gianni Picchi, PhD in Environmental Agronomy. Researcher at the Institute for Bioeconomy of the National Council for Research (CNR-IBE). Editorial Board member of the journal Forests (MDPI). Research focus: precision forestry, traceability of timber products, mechanization of operations for agro-forest timber and biomass production, energy crops, biomass quality. Author of 31 scientific papers and over 50 technical documents and conference presentations. Principal investigator of 3 EU projects.