GOGOA at the Forest and Timber Conference: Exoskeletons for a Safer Forestry Sector

On 30 October, GOGOA BIOENGINEERING had the privilege of taking part in the Jornada Forestal Madera, held at the Bilbao School of Engineering (EHU) as part of the XI Basque Wood Week. This event—driven by Baskegur in collaboration with the Basque Government, Osalan and EuskadiPreben, within the PRISMA Project—served as a forum to reflect upon and propose meaningful improvements in the working conditions across the forestry and timber value chain.

The conference was formally opened by Lourdes Iscar, Director of Osalan, and Iker Iglesias, Director of Food Industry and Policy at the Basque Government.

Osalan went on to present its targeted Action Plan for the forestry sector, together with an in-depth analysis of accident rates within this strategically important field.

One of the central segments was the session devoted to the Next Generation Project: Forestry Exoskeletons, which explored the potential of these technologies to enhance ergonomics, reduce risk, and strengthen the wellbeing of professionals working within the forestry sector. In this context, GOGOA shared its expertise and the progress achieved within the project led by HAZI, in which our exoskeletons are being assessed as supportive tools for tasks such as felling, delimbing, and other physically demanding operations.

Furthermore, we presented the advancements of the GAIA Project (Comprehensive Management for the Prevention, Suppression, and Reforestation of Forest Fires), where sensor-equipped exoskeletons are being integrated into the protective suits of operators involved in reforestation and fire-suppression activities, enabling continuous health monitoring and the early detection of potential risk situations. GAIA is a project subsidised by the CDTI, originating from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.

The event also featured a series of round-table discussions, focusing on the key challenges identified by EuskadiPreben: fostering a genuine culture of prevention, strengthening hands-on training, promoting professional specialisation, and consolidating the role of public administrations in improving working conditions. Representatives from the forestry sector, together with officials from the provincial councils of Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, as well as technical leads from Osalan and Baskegur, all contributed to these conversations.

The conference concluded with remarks by Inés Álvarez, Deputy Technical Director of Osalan, who presented the final insights before the networking session and formal closure of the event.

At GOGOA BIOENGINEERING, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to innovation that elevates workplace safety and occupational health—driving forward technological solutions designed to empower forestry teams and contribute to a safer, more resilient and more sustainable sector.ás seguro, eficiente y sostenible.