The wealth of the Galician forest is equivalent to more than 43,000 million euros and forestry exploitation in Galicia generates more than 50% of the total of the State, according to data from the Xunta. Galicia also stands out for its specialisation in the first links of the forestry value chain, especially in forestry, since more than 40% of the Gross Value Added (GVA) generated in the State comes from the Galician forest.

This important economic activity generates more than 2 million tonnes of residual biomass annually in the mountains of Galicia that must be properly managed in order to reduce the risk and impact of fires and prevent the spread of other forest health problems.

Greenalia manages more than 500,000 tonnes of forest waste annually from the numerous timber exploitations that are carried out throughout the autonomous community. With the biomass collected, the Curtis plant (A Coruña) generates 375,000 MWh of electricity, enough to cover the domestic consumption of a medium-sized city.

The Galician forestry sector is no stranger to the problem of the shortage of qualified personnel and Greenalia has opted for mechanization and digitalization as a solution to this and other problems (occupational accidents, temporary employment, etc.). At the same time, due to the purely rural nature of this activity, it is necessary for the personnel who have traditionally been doing these jobs to improve their performance by acquiring new digital skills, soft skills and sustainability.

For all of the above, the Captabioforest 4.O project is conceived as an opportunity not only for training personnel who have already been carrying out their profession in Greenalia, but also for those people from the Galician countryside who see this activity as an option for the future.