Updated by "Forest Circular Economy" Editorial Board on May 17, 2025, 11:52 AM JST
Editorial Board, Forest Circular Economy
Forestcircularity-editor
We aim to realize "Vision 2050: Japan Shines, Forest Circular Economy" promoted by the Platinum Forest Industry Initiative. We will disseminate ideas and initiatives to promote biomass chemistry, realize wooden cities, and encourage innovation in the forestry industry in order to fully utilize forest resources to decarbonize, strengthen economic security, and create local communities.
GeoChat, a communication terminal developed by Forestsea, a long-distance communication service provider, has been included since April in the educational materials for the "Green Employment" project forest worker group training conducted by the National Federation of Forestry Cooperatives. The device, which can send and receive texts, location information, and SOS signals even when cell phones are out of range, is attracting attention as a tool to support safety measures in forestry work sites.
GeoChat is linked to a dedicated smartphone application and uses a wide-area IoT communication infrastructure built on a proprietary long-distance wireless standard called "GEO-WAVE" to enable chat communication and SOS transmission even in mountainous areas where cell phone signals do not reach. In addition to GeoChat users in the vicinity, two-way communication is also possible with other parties within cellular phone range. In the event of a sudden change in physical condition during forestry work, machine breakdowns, falls, or other accidents, users can immediately call for help.
In the forestry industry, work is often dispersed, and there is always the risk of not being able to contact or locate someone in the event of an accident. There is an urgent need to develop communication methods that can be used in the field, both for safety measures and to improve efficiency.
The "Green Employment" program is a nationwide human resource development program aimed at retaining and training forestry workers, and even inexperienced forestry workers can participate in the program. GeoChat is also highly regarded for its relatively low initial investment, and is expected to be used more widely in the field through its inclusion in educational materials.
