Two Masters in Engineering students from Stellenbosch University, Yasmin de Raay and Chris Erasmus, have advanced to the international round of the 2025 ‘Blue Sky Young Researchers and Innovation’ competition. Their projects impressed the Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa (PAMSA) for their originality and relevance to the forestry sector, which plays a key role in producing wood and paper.
Managed by the International Council of Forestry and Paper Associations (ICFPA), this competition seeks projects from researchers under 30 years of age who are working in forest-based science, products using wood, pulp or paper as a raw material, process improvements, or other innovations throughout the forest sector value chain. As first and second place winners in the South African competition, Erasmus and De Raay, were awarded R15 000 and R10 000 respectively. Their projects will now be judged against those from the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. An international panel will select the top three global finalists, who will then present their projects at the ICFPA CEO Global Roundtable in May 2025 in New York.
“In a sector that has for decades centred around the renewability of wood, both these projects offer significant value for forestry companies by enhancing sustainable forest management and improving crop yields,” says Jane Molony, PAMSA executive director. “This in turns supports the sustainable supply of wood into pulp, paper and sawn timber industries.”
Innovative solutions in agritech and forestry
Both submissions focused on the monitoring of aspects of tree health, which plays a critical role in tree resilience and resource optimisation, by using technology to capture and analyse data continuously and remotely.
Erasmus, who is completing a Masters in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, has developed a wireless dendrometer and environmental sensing system tailored for the forestry industry. This solar-powered device tracks tree growth patterns, water dynamics, and environmental stressors such as temperature, humidity and soil moisture with precision. It offers a cost-effective, low-maintenance solution, reducing the need for human intervention while ensuring consistent accuracy and reliability. “Our dendrometer allows seamless, real-time monitoring of the trees’ daily growth variations, using advanced technology to overcome the limitations of traditional analogue systems, which are prone to noise and interference,” notes Erasmus.
De Raay is pursuing a Masters in Industrial Engineering, specialising in agritech, with a strong focus on integrating technology and nature conservation. “My honours and masters theses both focus on agritech, and through my work in the open-air eucalyptus laboratory, I’ve had the opportunity to apply engineering to sustainable forestry,” she explains. Her project introduces a mini rhizotron system designed to remotely monitor root growth and dynamics in forestry plantations. By using machine learning techniques and capturing microscopic images of roots, this system provides continuous, cost-effective access to vital root growth data, even in remote field settings, improving resource optimisation without sacrificing quality.
Recognising ingenuity in forestry innovation
“We are excited by this ingenuity, which not only highlights South Africa’s scientific talent but also has the potential to make a meaningful impact in our sector,” says Molony.
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