FETEC 2026 Symposium

Symposium Rationale

7th International Symposium of

Forest Engineering and Technologies – FETEC 2026

“Digital Transformation in Forest Engineering 4.0 and Beyond: Artificial Intelligence and Information Systems Applications”

12–14 October 2026

Brașov, Romania

Transilvania University of Brașov, Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering

International Symposium of FETEC 2026

Symposium Rationale

Forestry is experiencing rapid technological advancement as digital tools, automation, and artificial intelligence become integral to modern forest engineering. These innovations are reshaping how forest resources are planned, monitored, and managed, enabling more precise, sustainable, and efficient operations. Forest Engineering 4.0 marks this shift toward smart machinery, data-driven decision-making, interconnected information systems, and advanced sensing technologies. Looking “beyond 4.0” reflects an emerging focus on human-centered, resilient, and environmentally responsible approaches, where technology supports both operational performance and sustainability goals.

This symposium provides a timely platform for addressing these developments by bringing together internationally recognized researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders. It fosters exchange on cutting-edge topics including digital transformation, robotics and automation, intelligent forest road systems, big data analytics, geospatial technologies, climate-smart forestry, AI-driven environmental assessment, and innovations in education such as VR/AR and OBE frameworks. Industry demonstrations and case studies further highlight practical applications and challenges in real-world environments.

The 7th International Symposium of Forest Engineering and Technologies-FETEC 2026 will be organized on 12–14 October 2026 by Transilvania University of Brașov in the city of Brașov, Romania. The symposium co-organizers include FETEC Platform and IUFRO Division 3.01.

Symposium Objective & Topics

Symposium Objective

The aim of the symposium is to bring together internationally renowned researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders to discuss the latest scientific and professional advancements in digital transformation for Forest Engineering 4.0 and beyond, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and information systems applications.

Symposium Topics

1. Digital technologies and transformation in forest engineering 4.0 (Digital twins, IoT)
2. Robotics and automation in forest operations
3. Big data, analytics, and intelligent decision support systems in forest engineering
4. Artificial intelligence applications in forestry
5. Intelligent and digital solutions for forest road systems
6. Sustainable and human-centered forest engineering (Human–AI, Ergonomics)
7. Innovations in education, training, and capacity building (OBE, VR/AR)
8. Climate-smart and resilient forestry technologies
9. Geospatial Information Systems & Remote Sensing (UAV, LiDAR, MS–HS Sensing)
10. Industry Solutions, Technology Demonstrations & Case Studies
11. Information Systems for Environmental Impact Assessment
12. General advances and innovations in forest engineering

Committees

Organizational Committee

Prof. Dr. Stelian Alexandru Borz (Chair), Transilvania University of Brașov, Romania

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ebru Bilici (Co-Chair), FETEC, Giresun University, Türkiye

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marina Viorela Marcu, Transilvania University of Brașov, Romania

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eugen Iordache, Transilvania University of Brașov, Romania

Dr. Gabriel Osei Forkuo, Transilvania University of Brașov, Romania

Eng. Ana Alexandra Reyes Robalino, Transilvania University of Brașov, Romania

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Saliha Ünver, Karadeniz Technical University, Türkiye

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Neşe Gülci, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Türkiye

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zennure Uçar, İzmir Katip Çelebi University, Türkiye

Dr. Taha Yasin Hatay, Karadeniz Technical University, Türkiye

Scientific Committee

H. Hulusi Acar, IYYU, Istanbul, Türkiye

Mauricio Acuna, NRIF, Helsinki, Finland

Dzhamal Amishev, LU, Canada

Burak Arıcak, BTU, Bursa, Türkiye

Kazuhiro Aruga, UDAI, Utsunomiya, Japan

Abdurrahim Aydın, DU, Düzce, Türkiye

Borys Bakay, UNFU, Lviv, Ukraine

Ender Buğday, ÇAKU, Türkiye

Vasile Razvan Campu, UNITBV, Romania

Rudolf Alexandru Derczeni, UNITBV, Romania

Florin Dinulica, UNITBV, Romania

Mehmet Eker, ISUBU, Isparta, Türkiye

Remzi Eker, IKÇU, Türkiye

Seca Gandeseca, UP, Sarawak, Malaysia

M. Reza Ghaffariyan, USC, Q. Land, Australia

Peter Gorsevski, BGSU, OH, USA

Stefano Grigolato, UNIPD, Padova, Italy

Selçuk Gümüş, KTU, Trabzon, Türkiye

Sercan Gülci, KSU, Türkiye

Han Sup Han, NAU, Arizona, USA

Sang-Kyun Han, KNU, South Korea

Hajri Haska, UBT, FFS, Tirana, Albania

Robert F. Keefe, U of I, USA

Ola Lindroos, SLU, Umea, Sweden

Matevž Mihelč, UL, BF, Slovenia

Elena Camelia Musat, UNITBV, Romania

Tolga Öztürk, IUC, Türkiye

Thomas Purfürst, UF, Germany

Dzevada Sokolovic, US, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Raffaele Spinelli, IBE-CNR, Italy

Bogdan Strimbu, OSU, USA

Oleg Styranivsky, UNFU, Lviv, Ukraine

Rien Visser, UC, Christchurch, New Zealand

Tetsuhiko Yoshimura, SU, Shimane, Japan

Conference Sponsor

ASFOR Romania - The Association of Forest Loggers from Romania

Important Dates

Important Dates

Symposium Program

7th International Symposium of

Forest Engineering and Technologies – FETEC 2026

“Digital Transformation in Forest Engineering 4.0 and Beyond: Artificial Intelligence and Information Systems Applications”

12–14 October 2026

Brașov, Romania

Preliminary Program

12 October 2026

13 October 2026

14 October 2026

Abstract Submission

Abstract Submission Instructions

The abstract should include 150–200 words. Please briefly explain the aim and scope of your study, your materials and methods, and the main conclusions of the study. Font should be Times New Roman, font size 12 pt. The abstract should not include any figures, tables or extra headers. The abstract must be submitted in Microsoft Office Word. Up to five keywords (separated by comma) should be added at the end of the abstract. Please indicate the type of presentation (oral/poster) as you submit the abstract. Abstracts will be evaluated by the referees from the Scientific Committee.

Template of the abstract can be downloaded from here.

Selected papers presented at the symposium will be evaluated for full-text publication in the Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brașov, the International Journal of Forest Engineering (IJFE), and the European Journal of Forest Engineering (EJFE), subject to each journal’s peer-review and publication procedures.

*If you prefer to submit your abstract via e-mail, please send it to fetec.oritek@gmail.com with your presentation preference (oral/poster).

Full Paper Submission

Full Paper Submission Instructions

Papers of both Oral and Poster presentations should be written on page format of DIN A4 (210 x 297 mm), all margins of 2.5 cm, font size of 12 pt, and font type of Times New Roman. Text should be written in single space and should not exceed 10 pages (including tables, figures, and references). Page numbers should be consecutively located in the bottom right corner.

Template of full paper can be downloaded from here.

Selected papers presented at the symposium will be evaluated for full-text publication in the Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brașov, the International Journal of Forest Engineering (IJFE), and the European Journal of Forest Engineering (EJFE), subject to each journal’s peer-review and publication procedures.

Full papers should be sent to fetec.oritek@gmail.com by 15 October 2026.

Title Page

Title should be written in capital letters and bold format. After the title, author name(s) and address (affiliations, telephone, fax and e-mail address) should also be supplied. For papers with more than one author, the corresponding author should be indicated with a sign (*).

Abstract

Abstract should contain short and sufficient information about study rationale, objectives, materials and methods used, the results obtained and suggestions, and should be limited to a maximum of 200 words. There should be 3–5 keywords provided after the abstract.

Main Text

Main text of the paper is the section where detailed information about the study is provided. Headings should be numbered as 1, 1.1, 1.1.1 in this section. Main headings such as Introduction, Material and Methods, Results and Discussion, Conclusion and Suggestions should be written in capital letters, bold format, and left-justified. Subheadings should also be bold and left-justified, but only the initial letters should be capitalized. Main text should be written in plain format without any special formatting, with single line spacing between paragraphs.

Tables and Figures

Tables and figures should be located in the most appropriate place just after they are referred to in the text and consecutively numbered (1, 2, 3, …). Table captions should be placed above the tables while they should be placed below figures. Vertical grid lines should not be used in tables.

References

References mentioned in the text should be written in parenthesis as “author’s last name, publication year”. If there is more than one reference, they should be chronologically ordered and separated by semicolon (example: Allen and Fox, 1998; Yıldırım et al., 2002).

In the References section at the end of a paper, references should be listed according to alphabetical order of authors’ last names, and then according to chronological order of publication dates for references by the same authors. If there is more than one reference published by the same authors in the same year, they should be indicated with an annex in alphabetical order (example: 1993a).

The main format to be used for references at the end of a paper should be: author name (last name, first name), publication year (and annex if necessary), title, journal name, volume, number, and page numbers. If the reference is a book, the publishing house and location should be indicated, while the name, date, and location of a symposium should also be given for symposium proceedings. Some examples are given below:

Journal article:

Akay, A.E., Wing, M., Sessions J. 2012. Estimating structural properties of riparian forests with airborne LiDAR data. International Journal of Remote Sensing. 33(22): 7010–7023.

Book:

Sessions, J., Boston, K., Wing, M.G., Akay, A.E., Theisen, P., Heinrich, R. 2007. Forest Road Operations in the Tropics. Edited by Sessions, J. Springer, Berlin. 170 p.

Congress and symposium:

Akay, A.E., Kılıç, E.H. 2015. Providing Engineering Solutions to Forest Fire Access Problems Using Network Analysis Method. International Conference on Engineering and Natural Sciences (ICENS) 2015. 15–19 May. Skopje, N. Macedonia.

Registration

Please fill out the following registration form regarding your participation in FETEC 2026. This information will help us ensure that the event runs smoothly and stays on schedule. Thank you for your cooperation, and we look forward to seeing you in Brașov!

FETEC 2026 Registration Form

The registration fee for FETEC 2026 is 150 EUR and covers symposium documents and other related expenses.

At least one author per abstract must be registered.

Payment Details

Payments will be accepted only by bank transfer to the accounts specified below. No payment will be accepted at the registration desk. For participants who want an invoice, the invoice must be requested before paying the fee. Invoices cannot be issued after the conference.

Contact person for invoice requests:

Viorela Marcu

Email: viorela.marcu@unitbv.ro

Phone / WhatsApp: +40 721 631 808

1. For Foreign Citizens

A. For legal entities

1. Name and address of the payer / legal entity
2. Tax Identification Number / VAT number
3. Names of the participants attending the conference
4. Participation fee — FETEC 2026: 150 EUR

B. For individuals

1. Name and address of the participant
2. National identification number / Tax Identification Number
3. Participation fee — FETEC 2026: 150 EUR

Payment in EUR

Beneficiary: Universitatea Transilvania din Brașov

Fiscal code: 4317754

IBAN: RO23BTRLEURCRT0006359506 (EUR)

Bank: Banca Transilvania, Sucursala Brașov

BIC / SWIFT code: BTRLRO22

2. For Romanian Citizens

A. Când se dorește eliberarea facturii fiscale pe instituție / societate

1. Denumirea instituției / societății plătitoare
2. CIF / CUI
3. Adresa instituției / societății
4. Detalii plată: plata taxă de conferință FETEC 2026, participant
5. Valoare taxă: 150 EUR

B. Când se dorește eliberarea facturii fiscale pe persoană fizică

1. Nume și prenume participant
2. CNP (în atașament o copie CI, doar dacă se dorește menționarea CNP-ului pe factură)
3. Adresa de domiciliu
4. Detalii plată: taxă participare conferință FETEC 2026
5. Valoare taxă: 150 EUR

Payment in RON — Romanian citizens

Beneficiary: Universitatea Transilvania din Brașov

Fiscal code: 4317754

IBAN: RO08TREZ13120F330500XXXX (RON)

Bank: Trezoreria Brașov

BIC / SWIFT code: BTRLRO22

Symposium Venue

The venue is the International Conference Center of Transilvania University of Brașov (Aula “Sergiu T. Chiriacescu”)

Address:

Aula “Sergiu T. Chiriacescu” of Transilvania University of Brașov

41A Iuliu Maniu Street, 500091 Brașov, Romania

University Phone: +40 (268) 41.30.00

Organizing Faculty Contact:

+40-268-418600 / 0711974812

+40-268-475705

How to Get There?

By Plane — Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport (GHV)

This is the closest airport to the symposium venue.

1. Public bus (Line A1): from the airport to Gara Brașov (railway station), then taxi, ride-hailing, local transport, or a 25–30 minute walk to the venue.
2. Taxi / ride-hailing (Bolt / Uber): a direct ride takes about 20–30 minutes depending on traffic.
3. Private airport transfer: pre-booked transfers are available and convenient for groups or luggage.

Alternative Airports

Henri Coandă International Airport – Bucharest (OTP): Romania’s largest airport, a common alternative for international participants.

1. Bus / shuttle: direct shuttle services between Bucharest and Brașov (online booking recommended), then local transport to the venue.
2. Train: airport train from Henri Coandă to București Nord, then train to Brașov, then local transport to the venue.
3. Taxi or private transfer: also possible, travel time depends on traffic and weather.

Sibiu International Airport (SBZ): another regional option, with train/bus/shuttle/private transfer connections to Brașov.

By Bus / Train

Brașov is a major Romanian railway hub with frequent connections from Bucharest and other cities. From Brașov Railway Station, the venue is reachable by taxi, ride-hailing, local transport, or a 25–30 minute walk. Long-distance coaches and shuttle services also connect Brașov with major Romanian cities and airports; local RATBV buses and trolleybuses serve the city centre / Iuliu Maniu Street area.

By Car

From the south (Bucharest / E60 / DN1): follow E60/DN1 north toward Brașov, then follow directions to the city centre and Iuliu Maniu Street.

From the west/north: use E68 from Sibiu or other national roads toward Brașov, then follow signs to the city centre and Iuliu Maniu Street. Parking in the central area may be limited — check in advance or contact your hotel.

City Transport in Brașov

Public city transport in Brașov is operated by RATBV and consists of buses and trolleybuses covering the entire city, including the railway station, city centre, university areas, and hotels.

Tickets can be purchased from ticket kiosks at major stops, via mobile apps or SMS, or from ticket vending machines. Tickets are validated upon boarding.

Main Transport Hubs:

1. Gara Brașov (Central Railway Station) — main arrival point by train
2. Livada Poștei — central bus hub, close to the old town and major hotels
3. Onix / Dramatic Theatre area — near central venues and accommodations

From Brașov–Ghimbav International Airport (GHV): take Bus Line A1 toward Gara Brașov, then continue by local bus or trolleybus to your hotel or the symposium venue.

For venues in the city centre or university area: use local buses or trolleybuses stopping near Livada Poștei, Teatrul Dramatic, or Universitate — venues are typically reachable on foot within a few minutes from these stops.

Alternative transport: taxis and ride-sharing services (Bolt, Uber) are widely available and inexpensive for short city trips — recommended for late-evening travel or direct door-to-door transport.