Development of a mobile application giving access to information about the Brazilian forestry market

• Grant number: 14/22772-8
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Duration: July 01, 2015 - March 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Tatiana Mahalem Do Amaral
• Grantee: Tatiana Mahalem Do Amaral
• Host Company: Atrium Assessoria Florestal Ltda
• City: Piracicaba
• Pesquisadores principais: André Gracioso Peres da Silva ; Caio Hamamura ; Silvana Ribeiro Nobre
• Associated researchers: Luiz Carlos Estraviz Rodriguez
• Associated grant(s): 16/00008-0 - Bem-te-vi: a future in exploiting nature resources development of a mobile application giving access to information about the Brazilian forestry market, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 16/00250-5 - Development of a mobile application giving access to information about the Brazillian forestry market, BP.PIPE; 15/12917-1 - Development of a mobile application giving access to information about the Brazilian forestry market, BP.PIPE; 15/12874-0 - Development of a mobile application giving access to information about the Brazilian forestry market, BP.PIPE

Abstract

This project will develop an application offering access to forestry information for smartphones and tablets. Target users are all professionals allied to forestry: managers, forest owners, investors, associations and public institutions linked to the sector.A tool that will make information on the forestry market of Brazil available in a rapid and interactive manner, through graphs and maps, is envisioned. Previously gathered and processed data such as the true increase in the price of land, timber prices, timber production, forestry inflation, timber production costs, productivity, timber movements, recommended native species for plantations, geographical areas of occurrence of species, among others will be accessible.Upon entering the application, the professional user will see a map of Brazil pre-colored according to his chosen theme. For instance, for the theme real increase in land prices, the dark areas of the map will correspond to locations where the land price has presented a higher increase in value, while lighter areas will highlight locations where the increase has not been high. The user will then be able to zoom in until reaching the location for which detailed information is desired. With just a double-click, graphs with more data about the selected location will be seen.The user will be able to choose other themes for his research, which will be available within the application. A flexible interface will be provided, allowing the user to request comparisons between areas, time periods, and other factors, as well as configuring how the information is shown. The idea is that every forestry professional in Brazil will become accustomed to having this application always "on", ready for instant consultation. With a few clicks, the user will have access to information that currently requires the expenditure of much time to research and manipulate the data.The application will be free, with access to a limited set of basic information, such as the true increase in land prices for all areas of Brazil. Within the application, additional databases (information modules) will be available for purchase. A pricing study will be performed to determine the amount to be charged for each database. The intention is that the price should be low, so that the client will perceive a good cost benefit relationship, and feel that the application will be of great use to him.As the user base for the application grows, partnerships will be formed with the owners and managers of public and private databases. However, in order to facilitate this process and to convince potential partners of the benefits of making their information available through the tool, the application must be ready, functioning, and with a considerable number of clients.The principal innovation challenges of this project are: (i) the development of an information processing technology for smartphones and tablets, which will afford rapid, easy, dynamic and interactive data presentation; (ii) the collection and manipulation of the information, which will be presented through the application. The databases will generally need to be large, if good usability and performance are to be achieved; (iii) extremely rapid occupation of the market, in terms of number of clients and available information. This will block the simultaneous development of competitor applications. (AU)