Grünecho
Forest enterprises, research institutes and public agencies rarely have an IT department of their own – but they do have long-term measurements, sensors, apps, tenders and software vendors that need to be led.
Grünecho takes on that technical leadership for a defined period: as an interim CTO, as IT consulting inside a running project, or as the technical counterpart to your software vendors.
What sets this apart from generic IT consulting: I speak both languages. Forest science (M.Sc., National Forest Inventory, ICP Forests) and software engineering (since 2005, DevOps, ISTQB, PRINCE2, ITIL).
Services
Three formats – depending on whether what you are missing is technical leadership, project assurance or a data architecture.
Interim CTO
Technical leadership for a defined period – without creating a permanent post.
- Technology and data strategy, roadmap and prioritisation
- Architecture and make-or-buy decisions with a defensible rationale
- Building, leading and steering development teams and vendors
- Budget, risk and quality accountability towards management
- Knowledge transfer: your team takes over, not the consultancy
Format: 2–6 days / month, typically from 6 months
IT consulting in the project
From the statement of work to formal acceptance.
- Requirements analysis, specification and tender documents
- Review of proposals, architectures and effort estimates
- Quality assurance, test strategy and acceptance (ISTQB Certified Tester)
- Project governance following PRINCE2 or agile – whichever fits
- A technical counterpart to your vendors
Format: Day or hourly basis, ad hoc or throughout the project
Data & monitoring architecture
From sensor to report – automated and reproducible.
- Data models and standards (ICP Forests, inventory data, vinv.io)
- Sensor and IoT integration, offline data capture in the stand
- Automated processing, analysis and reporting pipelines
- Data quality assurance: plausibility checks instead of rework
- Open data, open APIs and open source (openCode, Public Money Public Code)
Format: Analysis sprint (2–4 weeks) or ongoing support
Reference case
IT consulting & technical lead · since 05/2024
Starting point
Decades of measurements from forest environmental monitoring – crown condition survey, soil condition survey, state forest inventory and long-term observation on the ICP Forests Level II plots – lived in grown, largely manual workflows. The results were scientifically valuable, but neither processed automatically nor publicly accessible.
Role & approach
Support across the full cycle: from sensor data capture in the field through data model, automation and quality assurance to the public platform and the release of the source code. Consulting, architecture and implementation from one source – developed with the LFE domain experts, not around them.
Outcome
- forstliche-umweltkontrolle.de – public platform with long-term analyses, climate and drought-stress evaluations
- Documented REST API – the same data machine-readable for science and administration, access via a key issued by the LFB
- WZE app – offline field data capture (Android, Windows, Web) with external GNSS receivers, azimuth/distance measurement and plausibility checks
- Forms generated from JSON schemas – changes to survey forms without shipping a new release
- Source code published on openCode – reusable by other federal states instead of rebuilding
ICP ForestsLevel I & IIIoT / SensorikOffline-FirstOpen DataOpen Source
Project page Visit the platformopen_in_new Source code on openCodeopen_in_new
How we start
30 minutes, free of charge. Starting point, goal and constraints – afterwards I will tell you honestly whether I am the right fit.
A written assessment: current state, risks, options and a recommended approach with an effort estimate. Also available as a standalone deliverable.
A fixed monthly capacity, clear availability, documented decisions – and a handover plan for your team from day one.
Terms
Let's talk about where you stand.
30 minutes, no obligation, no preparation needed. Afterwards you will know whether and in which format I can help.
Frequently asked questions
What does an interim CTO do in a forest organisation?
They take on the technical responsibility nobody else holds: strategy and roadmap, architecture and procurement decisions, vendor management, quality and risk management – and they translate between the domain experts and IT. Unlike a permanent hire, the role is time-boxed and designed for handover.
When is an interim CTO better than a permanent hire?
When the task is clear but neither the position nor a candidate pool exists: an upcoming tender, a platform decision, a project going off track, or building a data architecture. Forestry IT is a niche – filling a matching permanent role often takes longer than the project itself.
Do you work with public-sector clients?
Yes. Landesbetrieb Forst Brandenburg, the University of Freiburg, BOKU Vienna, the KWF and SVLFG are among my clients to date. Public procurement processes, statements of work and publishing source code under the Public Money, Public Code principle are familiar ground.
Do you build things yourself, or only advise?
Both – but as separate engagements. In a consulting role I act as your counterpart to the vendor; if you also want the implementation done by Grünecho, you will find it under software development.
Remote or on site?
Primarily remote from Großsölk in Styria, with clients in Germany, Austria and Europe. For workshops, field visits and survey campaigns I come on site.