SmartTogether is a research project launched on the 1st of December 2024. The project is funded by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia within Diaspora 2023 programme, for a period of two years (December 2024 – November 2026). SmartTogether aims to bring a novel insight into the dynamics of riparian forests in Serbia by developing a near real-time research and monitoring network based on IoT technology, and enhance knowledge transfer into forestry practice to support decision-making.
Riparian forests, though limited in distribution due to their association with rivers, are among the most productive and biodiverse ecosystems, playing key roles in global carbon, nutrient, and water cycles. Despite their ecological value, they belong to endangered habitats, which has led to growing interest in nature-based solutions and climate-smart forestry approaches to promote sustainable practices and innovative monitoring tools that enhance forest resilience, biodiversity, and adaptation to climate change.
The SmartTogether project includes four multi-disciplinary partners from Serbia, Germany and Czech Republic:
- Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment (ILFE) – project leader, Serbia
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Forestry (UB-FF), Serbia
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Faculty of Resource Management (HAWK), Germany
- Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CzechGlobe), Czech Republic.
The project is supported by the Public Enterprise for Forest Management ”Vojvodinašume”.