SafeNet Partners Collaborate in Brașov to Advance Forest Simulations
In June 2025, SafeNet partner Katharina Albrich from Natural Resources Institute Finland / Luonnonvarakeskus (Luke) travelled to Brașov, Romania, to work in person with colleagues from Universitatea Transilvania din Brașov. The visit focused on preparing the Romanian case study landscape for simulation work within Work Package 6, which supports modelling and scenario development across SafeNet’s case study sites.
Over ten days, the team worked together to identify and assemble relevant climate and soil data, clarify input formats for vegetation data, and discuss potential sources for additional datasets. Katharina also presented the technical structure for implementing forest management in the iLand model, and the group explored how Romanian forest management practices could be translated into simulation scenarios.
The visit included one and a half days in the field, where Katharina had the opportunity to get to know the forests of the case study area and learn more about ongoing forest biodiversity research in the region. These field visits are a vital part of simulation modelling, helping researchers understand the characteristics of the forests they are working to represent.
Reflecting on the experience, Katharina shared her thoughts in a post:
“I expected a friendly reception when travelling to Brașov to work on the data for our landscape-level simulations. But I was not prepared for just how nice it would be – thanks entirely to my wonderful hosts. A perfect mix of working together on the data, time for discussion, getting to know the case study forests and some good social time.”
She also spoke openly about the challenges and opportunities of working in large-scale EU projects:
“Horizon Europe projects feel like intimidating behemoths. Timelines are tight, deliverables ambitious… But what I was not prepared for is the opportunity for great human connection and scientific joy these projects can bring if one allows for it.”
SafeNet is grateful to Katharina and our Romanian partners, including Tudor Stancioiu, Mihai-Daniel Nita, Ioan Dutca, and many others, for their collaboration and hospitality. The insights and data gathered during this visit will support the development of robust and locally grounded simulation scenarios for the Romanian case study.