Impacts of inter-firm collaboration for supply networks harvesting mixed forests

In Quebec, Canada, 11% of forests are mixed, meaning they consist of a significant variety of trees, with half of them being hardwood and the other half softwood. Due to the diverse range of species, which necessitates the involvement of at least two different factories in harvesting each site, such networks foster interdependence among mills. To enhance the resilience of forest logistics networks in mixed forests, the study conducted in this article evaluated various collaborative approaches aimed at minimizing logistics costs and thereby maximizing the sustainability of such networks. The study showed that resource sharing enabled the greatest savings, closely followed by transport consolidation among mills. However, the study revealed that to minimize logistics costs in such industrial networks, it was ideal to both share resources within the territory and fully consolidate transportation fleets. Doing so reduced transportation distances by more than 3%, and the number of trucks needed by 21%. Despite the fact that the success of wood processing plants originating from mixed forest environments is influenced by the success of other plants within the same network, examples of successful partnerships in such networks are rare. This article therefore highlights the impact of collaboration on forest supply networks harvesting mixed forests, opening the door to future research focusing on a real case study.