NIRWOOD, created by GEA Forestal, aims at being the first commercial system for on-site identification of quality and origin of wooden products, based on Near-Infrared Technology (NIR). It is a partially EU-financed SME Instrument (Horizon 2020 Program) project dedicated to the development of a NIR (Near-Infrared) Spectrometer. NIR spectrometers are capable of identifying physical, mechanical and chemical properties of wood allowing the possibility to clearly recognize different species and to realize quality assessments.
Initiated in July 2017, the project aims to provide the timber market (producers, traders, manufacturers, transformers and environmental authorities) with a reliable, precise, quick and affordable tool to ensure that their wood products and quality are consistent with those they expected, avoiding frauds and illegalities.
Furthermore, NIRWOOD’s objective is the creation of a timber spectral database which is supposed to include NIR spectra from protected species as well as the most commercial ones. Once after the project is finished, the database is planned to be periodically updated with new species. The project team is planning to treat all data to be able to create a mathematical algorithm that allows to identify a certain species and its origin. This will be called “the NIRWOOD prediction model”. The algorithm should be embedded in a cloud-based platform easy to access. The project promises to enable the ascertainment of wood species and origin instantly just by buying a portable NIR device that scans the timber on-site.
Eventually, the system is supposed to be used by producers (pre-delivery checks), customers (reception control) and by authorities in their control function.
If you are interested in the Horizon2020 SME funding tool, we recommend you to check out the European Innovation Council (EIC) pilot aiming to support top-class innovators, entrepreneurs, small companies and researchers with bright ideas and the ambition to scale-up internationally.
